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I 


THE  RED-KEGGERS 


».  v 


.*»!?.  OP  CALIF.  LIBRARY,  LOS  ABGELES 


"SURELY,    LETTIE,  YOU    DON'T  WANT   TO    LIVE    ON   A    FARM   ALL 
YOUR    LIFE?" 


THE 

RED-KEGGERS 


By 

EUGENE  THWING 


Illustrations  by 
W.  HERBERT  DVNTON 


Ne<w   York 
GROSSET   &  DUNLAP 

Publishers 


LIST    OF    ILLUSTRATIONS 


"Surely,  Lettie,  you  don't  want  to  live  on  a  farm  all  your 

life  ?  "  (Page  60), FRONTISPIECE 

Facing  page 

"You  are  to  have  your  choice  between  sitting  in  that  chair 

and  a  dose  of  the  blue  beech," 10 

"What  is  all  this  about,  and  why  are  these  things  here?  "  .     50 

"Swim  around  a  bit  an'  cool  off,  or  go  home  an'  hang  yer- 

self  up  to  dry," 194 

The  more  Sam  raved  and  swore,  the  more  the  spectators 

laughed  and  jeered, 270 

"  Loose  your  hold  there,  quick,  or  you  die  I  "       .        .        .  298 

"I  ?.m  guilty,  judge,  guilty!" 404 

"I  des  love  him,  I  do," 426 


THE    RED-KEGGERS 


CHAPTER    I 

THE  section  officially  known  as  Range  i,  North,  and 
Red-Keg,  its  focal  point,  were  in  the  transition  period 
between  lumbering  and  farming.  The  combined  cut- 
tings of  three  contracting  firms  and  several  individual 
owners,  amounting  to  some  twenty  million  feet  of  saw- 
logs,  had  been  sent  down  the  river  from  Red-Keg  and 
half  a  dozen  other  points  extending  ten  miles  along  the 
bank.  A  hundred  or  more  rivermen  had  gone  down 
with  the  great  drive  to  the  booms  at  Saginaw,  or  farther 
on,  and  had  made  the  river  towns  noisy  with  their  cus- 
tomary revels.  The  camps  in  the  woods  had  been  dis- 
mantled, the  swollen  river  had  subsided,  and  compara- 
tive quiet  now  reigned  in  and  around  Red-Keg ;  but  it 
was  not  the  quiet  of  idleness.  A  different  form  of  ac- 
tivity was  gaining  ascendency.  Instead  of  the  axe  and 
the  saw  cutting  their  way  through  the  forest,  the  plough 
was  cutting  its  way  through  the  fields.  Instead  of  the 
crash  of  the  noble  pine,  the  growth  of  a  century  laid 
low  in  a  moment,  the  tiny  seed  fell  gently  into  the  fur- 
row. The  spirit  of  destruction  and  death,  which  dur- 
ing the  winter  had  stalked  through  the  forest,  now  with- 
drew for  a  season,  and  the  spirit  of  creation  and  life 
brooded  over  the  fertile  earth. 

As  the  forest  receded  the  farm  took  its  place.    Many 


2  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

of  the  lumbermen  of  the  winter  became  the  farmers  of 
the  summer.  Few  of  these  men  went  down  the  river 
with  the  drive,  and  those  who  did  go  hastened  back  as 
soon  as  their  work  was  done,  leaving  their  companions, 
the  roving  lumber-jacks,  to  the  drunken  carouse  which 
the  holiday  spirit,  the  sense  of  a  year's  work  done,  the 
relaxation  from  the  intense  strain  of  labour  and  danger, 
and  the  possession  of  a  considerable  "  stake  "  seemed 
to  make  necessary,  or  at  least  inevitable.  Nearly  all 
of  the  farmers  and  other  able-bodied  men  throughout 
the  section  made  their  winters  profitable  by  working 
for  one  or  another  of  the  lumber  contractors ;  or,  own- 
ing timber  land  of  their  own,  cut  as  much  as  they  could 
with  little  outlay  for  additional  help  or  equipment,  tra- 
voyed  their  own  saw-logs  to  the  skidways,  and  later 
loaded  them  on  sleighs  and  toted  them  to  the  banking- 
ground  at  the  river  to  await  the  spring  freshet.  Thus 
there  was  for  them  no  "  off  "  season,  no  period  for  idle- 
ness, and  no  time  in  which  those  who  cared  for  success 
could  afford  to  waste  strength  and  income  in  the  pro- 
longed debauch  of  the  lumber-jacks.  Yet  the  Red- 
Keg,  the  pioneer  saloon  from  which  the  little  town 
growing  up  around  it  involuntarily  took  its  name,  did  a 
flourishing  business  from  one  year's  end  to  the  other. 
Its  greatest  revenue,  of  course,  was  in  the  winter  and 
spring,  when  the  lumber-jacks  for  miles  around  regarded 
the  bright  red  keg  fastened  at  the  top  of  a  pole  in  front 
of  Pete's  place  as  the  beacon  light  which  guided  them 
to  their  ever-desired  haven.  "  Pete's  Place  "  was  let- 
tered on  this  red  keg  in  scrawling  characters  quite  in 
keeping  with  the  sprawling  characters  so  often  found 
inside  the  saloon.  Two  hotels  or  boarding-houses,  a 
general  store,  two  company  stores,  and  about  fifty  log- 
or  board-houses,  made  up  the  rest  of  the  village. 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  3 

Five  miles  or  more  down  the  river  was  Midland 
City,  the  county  seat.  The  state  road  ran  north  from 
Red-Keg  some  eight  or  nine  miles,  and  then  turned  to 
the  west  for  about  the  same  distance,  until  it  reached 
the  village  of  Sixteen  on  the  river  about  twelve  miles 
above  Red-Keg.  The  road  and  the  river  thus  formed 
an  irregular  triangle.  In  the  adjacent  county,  where 
the  forest  gave  place,  were  numerous  settlements  and 
farms,  locating  themselves  by  the  name  of  the  village 
to  which  they  chanced  to  be  nearest. 

District  School  No.  I,  at  Midland,  was  the  rallying- 
place  for  the  youth  throughout  the  section  who  desired 
an  education,  or  whose  parents  desired  it  for  them, 
and  the  sturdy  boys  and  girls  thought  nothing  of 
walking  five  miles  or  more  to  and  from  school  when 
the  roads  were  good,  or  of  riding  the  same  distance 
in  sleigh,  buckboard,  or  even  farm  wagon,  when  snow 
or  rain  made  walking  out  of  the  question.  Although 
the  railroad  extended  to  Red-Keg,  it  was  seldom  used. 
Even  some  of  the  younger  men  employed  in  the 
lumber-camps,  or  on  the  farms,  managed  to  get  a  few 
weeks  of  schooling  during  the  fall  and  spring.  For 
nearly  a  month  after  the  wind-up  of  the  logging  season 
and  the  scattering  of  the  gangs,  the  school  at  Midland 
continued  its  all-day  sessions.  Then,  with  its  annual 
"  exercises  "  and  jollification,  it  closed  for  the  summer, 
leaving  the  larger  boys  and  girls  free  to  help,  according 
to  their  respective  abilities,  in  the  work  of  the  farms. 

Closing  day  at  District  School  No.  I  was  an  event  in 
which  parents  and  friends  as  well  as  pupils  took  an 
active  interest.  From  all  parts  of  the  section  they 
drove  in  to  enjoy  the  festivities.  The  forenoon  was 
devoted  to  the  regular  routine  work,  the  afternoon  to 
speeches,  recitations,  and  singing,  the  evening  to  games. 


4  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

spelling-bees,  and  dancing,  usually  lasting  well  on  to- 
ward morning.  This  year  Lettie  Green,  Norine  Malo- 
ney,  and  Axcy  Marthy  were  to  "graduate,"  and  the 
Red-Keggers  were  preparing  to  turn  out  in  force  to 
honour  so  important  an  occasion. 

Two  consecutive  days  of  rare  beauty  marked  the  close 
of  the  cold  rains  and  ushered  in  the  season  of  the  earth's 
awakening.  With  the  warm  south  wind  came  the 
breath  of  flowers  and  songs  of  birds. 

Strangely  out  of  harmony  with  the  joyousness  around 
her,  and  in  which  she  was  expected  to  join,  Lettie  Green 
stood  at  her  window  with  trouble  in  her  eyes.  A  tear 
glistened  a  moment  on  her  long  lashes,  and  then  slipped 
unheeded  down  her  cheek. 

A  door  behind  her  opened,  and  she  turned  quickly 
with  a  little  cry  of  joy  which  as  quickly  died  away. 
Then  she  flushed  red  at  the  thought  that  her  aunt 
must  have  seen  her  disappointment  and  would  know 
the  reason  for  it. 

"What  on  earth,  Lettie!  You've  been  crying;  and 
to-day,  of  all  things !  What  is  the  matter  ? " 

"  Oh,  nothing,  Aunt  Lydia." 

"No,  of  course  not.  Sam  ought  to  have  been 
here  before  now  if  he  is  going  to  take  you  to  Mid- 
land. He  went  off  hunting  yesterday,  and  got  too 
far,  I  suppose,  but  the  other  folks  are  sure  to  be 
along  in  a  few  minutes.  You'll  have  to  hurry  and 
eat  your  dinner." 

"  He  had  no  right  to  disappoint  me  the  very  first 
time,"  thought  Lettie,  as  she  followed  her  aunt  down- 
stairs. 

The  hasty  meal  was  scarcely  finished  when  Seward 
Rathaway  drove  up  in  his  buckboard. 

"  Has  Lettie  gone  ? "  he  called. 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  5 

"No,  she's  waiting  for  you,"  replied  Lydia  Green, 
appearing  at  the  door. 

"  For  me !  Good ! "  exclaimed  Seward,  springing  to 
the  ground  to  assist  Lettie  into  the  seat.  "  Uncle  Si 
and  Mother  Hawkins,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Maloney,  Norine, 
and  Barney  are  close  behind.  We'll  wait  a  minute 
and  all  go  on  together.  Aren't  you  coming,  Aunt 
Lydia?" 

"  Yes,  I'll  come  down  on  the  train  with  the  Red-Keg 
folks.  Sorry  your  mother  isn't  well  enough  to  come. 
How  is  she  this  morning  ? " 

"  Pretty  comfortable,  thank  you.  To  tell  the  truth, 
Lettie,"  he  added  in  a  low  tone  as  he  took  his  place 
beside  her,  "  after  the  way  you  went  driving  with  Sam 
last  week,  and  the  look  on  your  face  when  you  came 
back,  I  imagined  there'd  be  little  chance  for  me  to  en- 
joy such  a  pleasure  as  this  again." 

Lettie's  face  paled,  and  then  flushed. 

"  Nonsense ! "  she  replied. 

When  District  School  No.  I  was  called  to  order 
for  the  forenoon  session,  the  teacher  noticed  Jaky 
Strander,  Rodney  Bedell,  Jim  Gyde,  and  two  or  three 
of  the  other  larger  boys  in  their  places,  early,  quiet, 
and  serious, — all  unusual  symptoms  with  that  particu- 
lar coterie.  A  flash  of  expectancy  which  passed  from 
one  to  another  did  not  escape  the  schoolmaster,  but  he 
appeared  to  see  nothing  out  of  the  ordinary. 

Jaky,  or  "Babe,"  Strander,  who  had  earned  his 
nickname  by  his  enormous  proportions,  and  his  weight 
of  over  two  hundred  pounds,  was  a  clumsy  round-faced 
fellow,  always  good-natured,  always  in  mischief,  the 
butt  of  practical  jokers,  and  one  of  the  chief  of  them 
himself.  He  was  an  expert  log-roller,  notwithstanding 


6  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

his  weight,  but  very  much  less  at  ease  within  the  narrow 
walls  of  the  district  school,  and  utterly  unable  to  master 
the  multiplication-table,  although  past  twenty  years  of 
age.  The  difference  between  seven  times  eight  and  nine 
times  six  was  an  unfathomable  mystery  to  him,  but  he 
could  judge  almost  to  a  hair's  breadth  the  probable 
movements  of  that  most  erratic  of  inanimate  objects, 
the  saw-log,  whether  in  the  water  or  on  the  skidway. 
Ashbel  Fair,  two  years  his  junior,  was  his  inseparable 
companion,  a  slender,  bright-eyed  boy,  with  light  curls 
in  a  tangled  mass  over  his  head,  witty,  a  favorite  with 
the  girls,  punctilious  in  his  attendance  at  school  and 
his  apparent  obedience  to  rules,  but  ready  to  join  in 
any  lark,  and  always  with  the  proverbial  chip  on  his 
shoulder  *  as  a  standing  invitation  to  "  scraps  "  for  the 
slightest  cause,  or  for  no  cause  at  all.  He  was  never 
/nissing  when  a  rollway  was  to  be  broken  or  a  drive  sent 
jown  the  river,  but  he  hurried  back  to  school  as  soon 
AS  the  excitement  of  the  work  was  over,  and  he  usually 
led  his  class  in  spite  of  time  lost. 

Jim  Gyde  was  twenty-two,  and  had  been  going  to 
school  since  he  was  ten.  Thoroughly  careless  and  un- 
ruly, in  the  second  reader  and  the  primary  arithmetic, 
he  was  still  unable  to  write  his  name,  and  cared  for 
none  of  these  things.  He  stood  six  feet  two  in  his 
stockings,  had  been  the  terror  of  all  the  teachers  since 
he  first  came  to  school,  and  hesitated  at  nothing 
in  the  form  of  devilry.  He  came  or  stayed  away 
from  school  as  he  pleased,  and  even  his  father,  who 
was  school  moderator,  had  no  control  over  him.  A 
typical  woodsman  and  a  champion  "scrapper,"  he 

*  "  To  go  about  with  a  chip  on  one's  shoulder — to  appear  in 
the  attitude  of  a  challenger  provoking  assault  or  attack,  like 
one  who  defies  another  to  strike  a  chip  off  his  shoulder." 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  7 

swung  his  long  arms  and  bony  fists  with  such  effect 
that  few  cared  to  come  within  reach  of  them  when 
they  began  to  move.  Only  three  persons  had  any 
power  over  him ;  they  were  Axcy  Marthy,  on  whom 
he  lavished  his  silent  affection,  Joseph  Waters,  the 
new  schoolmaster,  and  Robert  Allen,  the  backwoods 
parson. 

Rodney  Bedell  and  Bud  Frazer  were  two  lawless 
youths  who  sought  to  pattern  themselves  after  Jim 
Gyde  for  bullying  and  after  Ashbel  Fair  for  mischief, 
following  with  alacrity  either  lead  if  it  promised  fun  or 
fightingl  terms  which  were  almost  synonymous  with 
these  young  backwoodsmen. 

Between  fifty  and  sixty  boys  and  girls  from  ten  to 
twenty-two  years  of  age  were  in  their  places  waiting 
for  the  usual  opening  exercises.  Something  seemed  to 
be  in  the  air,  and  a  furtive  wink  now  and  then  from  one 
or  the  other  of  the  larger  boys  confirmed  the  suspicion 
which  by  some  mysterious  telepathic  influence  had 
communicated  itself  to  most  of  the  pupils.  The  school- 
master showed  no  hurry  to  proceed  with  his  reading  of 
the  Bible  chapter.  He  first  placed  some  of  the  lessons 
for  the  day  on  the  blackboard  behind  the  platform. 
Then  he  turned  to  the  school  and  inquired : 

"  Jaky,  how  many  are  six  times  nine  ? " 

Jaky  was  taken  wholly  unawares.  He  stammered, 
looked  up  at  the  ceiling,  from  one  side  to  the  other, 
rolled  his  eyes  nervously,  plunged  his  hands  deeply  into 
his  pockets,  and  with  a  desperate  effort  blurted  out : 

"  Fifty-six." 

"  How  many  of  your  lessons  have  you  ready  for  to- 
day, Jaky  ? " 

Again  the  unhappy  youth  squirmed  under  the  search- 
ing eyes  of  the  schoolmaster.  The  stillness  was  op- 


8  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

pressive.  Such  a  proceeding  before  the  opening  exer- 
cises and  the  reading  of  the  roll  was  portentous  of 
trouble. 

"  I've  got  my  joggerf  y  and  'riffmetic  all  done,"  replied 
Jaky  at  last,  with  a  vain  effort  to  appear  at  ease, 

"Very  well,  Jaky,"  said  the  teacher  pleasantly, 
"  come  up  to  the  platform.  I  will  let  you  recite  now, 
before  you  forget  them.*' 

Jaky  hung  his  head,  looked  appealingly  toward  some 
of  his  chums,  and,  almost  stumbling  to  the  floor  as  he 
arose  awkwardly  from  his  seat,  shuffled  unwillingly 
toward  the  platform,  his  hands  still  up  to  his  elbows  in 
his  capacious  pockets.  The  others  watched  curiously 
every  movement  of  schoolmaster  and  culprit, 

"  Step  up  here  with  me,"  said  the  teacher  in  a  friendly 
voice,  as  Jaky  hesitated  at  the  edge  of  the  platform. 

Jaky  did  as  he  was  bidden. 

"  Now  turn  your  face  to  the  school,  so,"  taking  the 
clumsy  fellow  by  the  shoulders  and  turning  him  around. 
At  the  same  time  he  drew  his  own  wooden  chair  from 
under  his  deal  table  and  placed  it  directly  behind  Jaky : 
"Be  seated,  please,"  he  continued. 

Here  Jaky  mutinied. 

"  It's  got  pins  in  it ! "  he  blurted,  now  almost  beside 
himself  with  fear  and  embarrassment.  Trembling  from 
head  to  foot,  he  sidled  away  from  the  dangerous  prox- 
imity of  the  chair,  and  in  his  excitement  fell  off  the 
side  of  the  platform  and  measured  his  length  on  the 
floor. 

"Pins?"  exclaimed  the  schoolmaster  in  mock  sur- 
prise, as  he  took  up  the  chair  and  examined  it  closely. 
"Why,  sure  enough!  and  very  neatly  and  cleverly 
done,  too,"  he  added  pleasantly. 

"  See  here,"  he  went  on,  exhibiting  the  chair  to  the 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  9 

school,  "  five  gimlet  holes  bored  through  the  seat  irfthe 
form  of  a  square,  with  one  in  the  centre.  These  holes 
are  nicely  rilled  with  wooden  plugs,  through  the  centre 
of  which  long,  stout  pins  have  been  thrust,  so  that  the 
points  protrude  nearly  an  inch  upward  from  the  seat  of 
the  chair.  Isn't  that  a  clever  idea,  boys  and  girls  ?  Do 
you  know  that  in  an  old  city  called  Nuremberg,  on  the 
other  side  of  the  world,  there  is  a  pretty  little  contriv- 
ance called  the  Iron  Maiden,  which  was  constructed 
many  years  ago  on  a  somewhat  similar  principle,  only 
that  it  is  much  more  elaborate,  because  the  long  iron 
pins  were  arranged  to  penetrate  every  part  of  the  body 
from  head  to  foot.  Evidently  a  like  genius  invented 
this  seat.  It  would  be  too  bad  to  allow  such  a  clever 
invention  to  go  untried.  Let  us  see,  there  are  five  of 
the  pins.  I  will  allow  five  of  you  to  try  the  seat,  one 
for  each  of  the  pins.  Who  shall  they  be  ? "  and  he 
glanced  quizzically  over  the  school,  without  resting  his 
eyes  on  any  one  in  particular. 

Dead  silence  reigned.  Even  the  innocent  pupils  were 
too  much  frightened  to  snicker,  as  they  had  been  known 
to  do  when  some  unfortunate  was  caught  in  a  scrape. 

"  Are  there  no  volunteers  ? "  asked  the  schoolmaster 
after  a  few  moments.  "  In  that  case  I  shall  have  to 
issue  invitations  by  name.  Jim  Gyde,  Rodney  Bedell, 
Bud  Frazer,  Ashbel  Fair,  and  Jaky  Strander,  kindly 
step  to  the  platform  in  the  order  I  have  called  your 
names  and  sit  down  for  a  moment  in  this  interesting 
chair." 

Not  one  of  the  boys  moved.  Black  looks  and  clenched 
fists,  however,  spoke  eloquently  of  mutiny. 

The  schoolmaster  gazed  at  his  pupils  a  moment  longer 
with  his  frank,  courteous  smile ;  then  in  an  instant  his 
face  changed  and  became  stern  and  set.  His  jaw 


io  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

squared  and  his  eyes  flashed.  He  stepped  quietly  to 
a  small  closet  near  his  table,  unlocked  it,  and  took  from 
it  five  new  blue  beeches  and  laid  them  in  a  row  upon 
the  table.  When  he  spoke,  his  voice  was  very  quiet 
and  cold,  but  the  ring  in  it  was  unmistakable. 

"Jim  Gyde,  step  forward,  sir." 

The  young  ruffian  hung  his  head,  spread  his  legs 
under  the  seat  in  front  of  him,  and  gripped  his  own 
seat,  but  otherwise  made  no  sign  or  response.  For 
about  thirty  seconds  in  the  stillness  of  the  schoolroom 
there  was  a  contest  of  wills.  Then  Jim  raised  his  head 
and  met  the  steely  gaze  of  the  schoolmaster's  eyes. 
Slowly  he  rose  and  stalked  forward  until  he  stood  face 
to  face  with  his  master. 

"  You  are  to  have  your  choice  between  sitting  in  that 
chair  and  a  dose  of  the  blue  beech,"  said  the  school- 
master, in  the  same  quiet  tone. 

Another  silence,  while  the  bully  measured  his  forces 
with  those  of  the  schoolmaster.  Undoubtedly  he  had 
the  brawn,  and  bone,  and  reach  of  arm,  but  there  was 
something  in  the  other  which  he  lacked  wholly.  He 
could  not  understand  it.  He  recognized  it  with  anger 
and  a  touch  of  awe,  and  he  yielded  to  it,  as  he  had  done 
before.  He  clenched  his  teeth. 

"The  beech,"  he  muttered. 

One  of  the  five  stout  switches  was  made  to  do  its 
work  thoroughly  and  well,  and  was  then  thrown  out  of 
the  window. 

"  Rodney  Bedell,"  called  the  schoolmaster. 

One  by  one  the  other  four  came  forward  and  took 
their  medicine,  never  dreaming  of  resistance  after  the 
toughest  fighter  in  the  school  had  been  vanquished. 
All  chose  the  beech,  not  because  it  would  hurt  less, 
but  because  they  at  least  knew  the  taste  of  it,  and  more- 


«YOU   ARE   TO   HAVE  YOUR   CHOICE   BETWEEN   SITTING    IN    THAT   CHAIR 
AND   A   DOSE   OF   THE   BLUE   BEECH." 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  11 

over  the  other  punishment  would  subject  them  to  end- 
less ridicule. 

When  the  last  of  the  five  conspirators  had  resumed 
his  place,  the  schoolmaster  rang  his  bell  for  order, 
called  the  roll,  and  then  read  the  first  fourteen  verses 
of  the  twelfth  chapter  of  Hebrews  in  a  tone  of  voice 
very  different  from  that  which  he  had  previously  used. 
He  remarked  briefly  on  the  value,  the  dignity  even,  of 
chastisement  if  administered  and  received  in  the  right 
spirit.  He  spoke  of  the  close  relation  between  chas- 
tisement and  love,  and  assured  his  pupils  that  he  loved 
them,  and  did  not  wish  to  humiliate  them  or  break  their 
spirits,  but  that  he  wanted  to  lead  them  to  respect 
themselves  and  turn  their  splendid  energies  into  right 
directions.  After  reading  the  fourteenth  verse  he 
paused  a  moment,  and  looked  kindly  at  the  turbulent 
fellows  before  him. 

"  That  is  a  hard  precept  to  live  by  in  this  region, 
boys;  but  remember  this:  if  a  man  respects  himself 
men  will  soon  learn  to  respect  him,  and  nothing  is  a 
surer  preservative  of  peace  than  mutual  respect.  Avoid 
quarrels  if  you  can,  but  if  one  is  forced  upon  you, — 
well,  make  it  so  hot  for  the  other  fellow  that  he  will 
want  to  avoid  them  thereafter." 

The  lessons  for  the  morning  then  proceeded  without 
interruption,  but  the  pupils  recited  mechanically  and 
scarcely  heard  the  questions  and  explanations  of  the 
schoolmaster.  The  one  thing  that  occupied  their  minds 
was  the  startling  event  of  the  morning,  and  it  was  the 
one  topic  discussed  when  the  school  was  dismissed  an 
hour  earlier  than  usual  that  the  place  might  be  pre- 
pared for  the  afternoon  exercises. 

"  He  knew  all  about  it,  and  had  everything  fixed," 
exclaimed  one  and  another.  "  How  in  thunder  did  he 
frdout?" 


CHAPTER   II 

"TIGHT  fit,  ain't  it,"  remarked  Hezekiah  Bloag,  as 
he  edged  his  way  to  the  front  and  squeezed  into  a  nar- 
row space  on  a  bench  beside  Josiah  Hawkins. 

"  Yes,  there  must  be  close  to  a  hundred  and  fifty 
here,  and  it's  only  intended  to  seat  eighty  comfortably. 
We'll  have  more  room  to-night  when  the  youngsters 
go  home,"  replied  Farmer  Hawkins. 

The  little  schoolroom  platform  was  barely  wide 
enough  for  six  chairs  in  a  row  at  the  back.  These  were 
occupied  by  the  School  Board,  consisting  of  Director, 
Moderator,  and  Clerk,  the  minister  of  the  Midland 
church,  Rev.  Augustus  Hayward,  the  itinerant  preacher 
and  missionary,  Robert  Allen,  and  Joseph  Waters,  the 
schoolmaster. 

"This  occasion  marks  an  epoch  in  District  School 
No.  i,  and  in  the  lives  of  these  here  young  ladies  who 
go  out  from  its  educatin'  influence,"  said  the  Moderator 
in  his  opening  speech;  "but  likewise  it  gives  ye  a 
chance  to  see  the  new  schoolmaster,  who,  from  all  ac- 
counts, is  as  different  from  them  who  preceded  him  as 
the  freshet  that  carried  the  drive  down  the  Tittabawas- 
see  last  month  is  from  a  spoonful  of  dishwater.  Ye 
know  my  boy  Jim  ain't  ezactly  a  baby.  I  don't  fool 
much  with  him  myself.  Mr.  Waters,  here,  larrupped 
him  and  four  of  his  pals  good  and  plenty  this  morn- 
ing before  the  whole  school,  usin'  up  a  blue  beech  on 
every  mother's  son  of  'em ;  and  all  the  time,  they  say, 
he  was  cool  and  quiet  as  though  hearin'  a  class  in 

13 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  13 

spellin*  I  wouldn't  know  where  to  pick  out  another 
man  who  could  do  the  job.  He's  the  kind  of  school- 
master this  district  needs.  More  power  to  his  arm, 
say  I.  We'll  now  hear  the  report  of  the  Clerk  for  the 
past  year." 

One  by  one,  the  Moderator  introduced  the  speakers 
of  the  afternoon.  The  Director,  Ashbel  Fair's  father, 
spoke  of  the  importance  of  a  good  school  education  in 
fitting  young  men  and  women  for  practical  work  even 
in  the  forest  or  on  the  farm.  The  city  minister  talked 
learnedly  on  no  subject  in  particular  until  his  hearers 
were  glad  to  have  him  stop.  The  schoolmaster  mod- 
estly begged  to  be  excused  from  speaking. 

"  My  boys  and  girls  have  already  heard  enough  from 
me,  and  their  parents  and  friends  will  be  content  if  I 
stick  to  my  work  and  let  speech-making  alone." 

This,  coming  immediately  after  two  long,  prosy  ad- 
dresses, was  greeted  with  hearty  applause  and  some 
approving  laughter. 

Parson  Allen  could  not  escape  so  easily, 

"  Ye've  been  away  all  winter  in  the  woods  with  the 
boys,"  said  the  Moderator.  "If  there's  anything  ye 
have  to  say  to  us  people,  now's  your  chance." 

In  a  few  simple  words  the  stalwart  backwoods  par- 
son spoke  of  some  of  the  lessons  taught  in  the  wonder- 
ful school  in  which  he  and  scores  of  rugged  men  had 
been  pupils  during  the  past  winter. 

"  Our  schoolmaster  is  stern  and  exacting,  and  our 
hours  are  longer  than  yours,"  he  said.  "  We  must  keep 
at  our  lessons  sometimes  until  after  midnight,  and  start 
in  again  at  three  o'clock  in  the  morning.  It  depends  a 
good  deal  on  the  weather.  But  it's  worth  while,  if  the 
lessons  are  well  learned.  Most  of  the  boys  don't  know 
that  they  are  learning  them,  and  I'm  afraid  they  forget 


14  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

them  when  school  is  out ;  but  there's  big  hope  for  any 
fellow  when  he  gets  his  eyes  open. 

"  In  the  first  grade  of  our  school  out  yonder  in  the 
woods  every  chap  learns  four  lessons  in  a  wonderfully 
short  time  First  comes  patience.  He  needs  it  when 
the  roads  are  hard  to  make,  when  the  snow  comes  too 
soon  and  prevents  the  ground  and  the  swamp  from 
freezing,  when  the  horses  break  through  the  ice,  when 
a  thaw  stops  the  work  before  time,  when  the  boss  is 
unreasonable, — at  every  point  he  must  know  his  lesson 
of  patience  by  heart.  Then  there's  endurance.  When 
a  man  must  turn  out  of  his  bunk  at  two  or  three  o'clock 
on  a  frosty  morning  and  fight  against  time  in  the  teeth 
of  a  biting  wind  or  a  driving  snow  for  eighteen  hours 
or  more  at  a  stretch ;  when  he  must  stand  waist  deep 
in  the  water  and  floating  ice  of  the  river  maybe  half 
the  time  from  dawn  to  dark  to  gather  and  send  forward 
the  stranded  logs  in  the  rear ;  when  he  must  do  the  or- 
dinary work  of  two  or  three  men  to  win  the  battle  with 
time, — in  all  this  he  would  fail  if  he  had  not  learned 
well  his  lesson  of  endurance.  Persistence  is  another 
of  the  lessons.  Often  the  elements  seem  to  mock  the 
mightiest  efforts  the  men  put  forth.  The  labour  of  days 
may  be  undone  in  a  single  night  by  a  rain-storm  or 
a  heavy  snow.  The  same  work  must  often  be  done 
over  and  over  again.  Enough  happens  during  a  sea- 
son's logging  to  discourage  any  but  the  most  deter- 
mined .  Only  by  adding  persistence  to  the  other  lessons 
does  the  impossible  become  possible  and  a  threat- 
ening failure  is  turned  into  success.  Bravery  also  is 
a  lesson  that  is  taught  by  every  day's  experience  in 
this  great  school  of  the  lumbermen.  I  have  seen,  you 
have  all  seen,  a  man  go  down  under  a  mighty  wall  of  logs 
thirty  or  forty  feet  high  to  break  a  roll  way  or  a  jam, 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  15 

when  an  instant's  mischance  might  bury  his  mangled 
body  under  millions  of  feet  of  logs.  Some  of  the  brav- 
est men  in  this  region  are  right  here  in  this  room  and 
belong  also  to  this  school,  as  well  as  to  the  larger  one 
of  the  woods.  Last  month,  in  the  jam  below  Red-Keg, 
when  the  tangle  of  logs  resisted  the  efforts  of  the  crews 
until  they  were  almost  driven  to  blow  it  to  pieces  with 
giant  powder,  who  went  down  under  the  jagged  mass 
and  worked  like  demons  until  they  tore  out  log  after 
log  and  set  the  tangle  free,  barely  escaping  with  their 
own  lives?  You  know  them.  One  was  Jim  Gyde.  I 
thought  he  was  here,  but  I  don't  see  him.  Another 
was  Barney  O'Boyle.  There's  Barney,  now,  and  he 
needn't  blush.  Ashbel  Fair  and  Jaky  Strander  were 
with  them,  and  four  braver  boys  I  never  saw.  They 
have  learned  that  lesson  well.  I  hope  they  will  all 
learn  courage  of  another  sort  to  add  to  their  bravery. 

"  There  is  a  higher  grade  in  the  school  of  the  woods 
in  which  other  lessons  can  be  learned,  and  they  are  not 
so  readily  acquired.  My  friend  Josiah  Hawkins,  whom 
I  see  yonder,  has  learned  them  well,  and  has  long 
shown  their  effect  in  his  beautiful  life.  One  of  these 
lessons  is  reverence.  In  the  presence  of  the  mighty 
forces  of  nature  and  the  grandeur  of  the  ancient  for- 
ests, one  is  inspired  with  reverent  awe  for  the  great 
Maker  and  Ruler  of  all.  Then  the  lesson  of  humility 
follows  as  one  realizes  the  smallness  and  dependence 
of  men.  Lessons  of  self-sacrifice  and  brotherly  kind- 
ness are  learned  by  men  who  work  together  in  common 
danger,  exposure,  and  eager  effort.  There  was  not  a 
man  in  any  of  the  crews  with  which  I  worked  who 
would  hesitate  an  instant  to  leap  to  the  assistance  of  a 
comrade  in  danger,  though  his  own  life  might  pay  the 
forfeit 


16  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

"My  one  wish  is  that  these  lessons,  learned  uncon- 
sciously in  the  forest  and  on  the  river,  may  take  pos- 
session of  the  boys  and  become  the  controlling  impulses 
of  their  lives." 

"  Mr.  Hawkins,"  called  the  Moderator,  after  Parson 
Allen  sat  down,  "  we  would  be  glad  to  hear  from  you 
again.  It's  nearly  five  years  since  ye  were  Director  of 
this  school,  and  we've  not  seen  much  of  ye  in  that  time." 

"  Better  let  the  young  folks  have  a  chance  now.  I 
guess  there's  been  enough  speech-making,"  replied 
Farmer  Hawkins  from  his  seat  in  the  audience. 

The  Moderator  accordingly  announced  that  the  pro- 
gramme prepared  by  the  school  would  be  proceeded 
with  at  once,  and  he  turned  over  the  exercises  to  the 
schoolmaster.  Axcy  Marthy  took  her  seat  at  the  little 
melodion  in  the  corner  and  in  a  moment  the  pupils  and 
many  of  the  visitors  were  singing  lustily.  Recitations, 
dialogues,  and  tableaux  followed  in  rapid  succession. 
A  fat  youngster  in  short  "  pants  "  and  with  a  shrill,  pip- 
ing voice  recited : 

"  I  wish  I  had  a  little  wife, 
A  little  stove  and  fire, 
I'd  hug  her  like  a  lump  of  gold. 
And  let  no  one  come  nigh  'er.* 

A  taller  youth  with  aspirations  to  be  a  brave  lumber- 
jack made  a  bold  attack  upon  "Spartacus."  Little 
girls  spoke  dialogues.  Lettie  Green,  after  reciting 
with  fine  effect  "The  Baron's  Last  Banquet,"  received 
her  school  certificate  tightly  rolled  and  tied  with  a  blue 
ribbon.  Similar  certificates  were  given  to  Norine  Ma- 
loney  and  Axcy  Marthy  after  their  recitations.  The 
latter  brought  down  the  house  by  an  original  sketch 
entitled  "  The  Schoolmarm,"  in  which  she  introduced 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  17 

a  clever  caricature  of  the  unfortunate  dame  whose  brief 
career  at  District  School  No.  I  had  ended  suddenly 
during  the  last  year,  and  whose  unfinished  term  Joseph 
Waters  had  just  completed.  The  pleadings,  the  threats, 
the  tears,  the  nervousness,  were  reproduced  true  to  life, 
and  the  piece  ended  with  the  schoolmarm's  absurd 
attempt  to  drive  her  unruly  brood  out  of  the  school- 
house  by  flapping  her  apron  at  them  with  both  hands, 
stamping  her  feet,  and  crying  "  Shoo !  shoo !  go  home ! 
shoo!** 

As  soon  as  dusk  began  to  settle,  nearly  forty  of  the 
younger  children,  most  of  whom  lived  in  town,  were 
sent  home,  and  a  collation  which  had  been  prepared  in 
a  neighboring  house  was  brought  in.  All  formality 
and  restraint  disappeared,  and  the  evening  was  given 
over  to  fun  and  frolic.  After  the  remains  of  the  colla- 
tion were  cleared  away,  the  chairs  and  benches  were 
arranged  on  opposite  sides  of  the  room  and  a  spelling- 
bee  was  organized,  Axcy  Marthy  being  named  for  leader 
of  one  side  and  Lettie  Green  of  the  other.  Each  chose 
her  forces  one  by  one  alternately  until  the  entire  com- 
pany of  pupils,  visitors,  and  school  officials  were  ranged 
on  one  side  or  the  other,  with  the  schoolmaster  in 
charge  of  "Sander's  Speller."  The  battle  raged  for 
over  an  hour,  enlivened  with  frequent  excited  disputes 
as  to  alleged  partiality  on  the  part  of  the  teacher,  or 
bursts  of  laughter  when  the  school  officials  or  other 
prominent  personages  were  spelled  down.  Finally  the 
contest  narrowed  down  to  Lettie  Green  and  the  Mid- 
land minister  on  one  side  and  Axcy  Marthy  and  Ash- 
bel  Fair,  who,  with  Jaky  Strander,  had  returned  in  time 
for  the  collation,  on  the  other.  The  preacher  was  de- 
clared "out"  for  what  he  insisted  was  "only  a  slip  of 
the  tongue,"  and  Ashbel  was  so  delighted  that  he  failed 
t 


18  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

to  watch  his  own  defenses  and  went  down  at  the  very 
next  word.  Axcy  and  Lettie  faced  each  other  with 
flushed  faces  and  shining  eyes.  They  had  proved  their 
right  to  the  leadership  of  their  respective  sides.  It 
was  now  a  duel  to  the  finish,  and  more  than  ever  de- 
manded of  the  schoolmaster  care  in  selecting  the 
words,  so  that  neither  should  gain  an  undue  advantage. 
Several  words  had  been  spelled  correctly  by  each  of 
the  girls  when  an  interruption  occurred.  The  door 
was  thrust  open  and  Sam  Hawkins  entered.  He 
nodded  to  the  few  nearest  him  and  made  his  way  hur- 
riedly to  where  Seward  Rathaway  was  sitting.  After 
a  moment's  whispering  the  two  young  men  went  out 
together.  The  disturbance  was  very  slight,  but  it  came 
at  an  unfortunate  time  for  Lettie.  At  the  next  word 
she  hesitated,  stammered  a  little,  and  missed.  Axcy 
spelled  it  correctly  and  was  declared  the  winner.  Both 
girls  were  extremely  popular,  so  that  congratulations 
were  almost  equally  bestowed. 

Livelier  games  were  then  called  for :  Blind  Man's 
Buff;  All  Going 'Round  the  Levee;  Button,  Button; 
Strap ;  Lead ;  Whirl  the  Platter,  and  forfeit  games  of 
various  kinds.  Sam  Hawkins  and  Seward  Rathaway 
re-entered  the  schoolroom  and  were  called  to  join  in 
Blind  Man's  Buff,  for  which  poor  Jaky  Strander  had 
been  compelled  to  play  the  blind  man,  his  enormous 
size  and  awkward  movements  being  counted  upon  to 
afford  amusement  and  prolong  the  chase. 

Sam  excused  himself  and  sought  Lettie  Green,  whom 
he  drew  to  one  side. 

"  Awfully  sorry  I  disappointed  you,  Lettie,  don't  you 
know.  Got  treed  by  a  she-bear  without  my  gun,  and 
had  to  watt  her  highness's  pleasure  until  this  morning, 
when  she  went  off  to  her  young  ones.  Then  I  followed 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  19 

her  into  the  swamp.  Thought  I  might  get  you  a  nice 
skin ;  but  the  rascal  gave  me  the  slip." 

"I  did  feel  disappointed,"  replied  Lettie,  "especial- 
ly— ,  but  of  course  if  you  couldn't  help  it — ;  you'll  stay 
now,  and  take  me  home  to-night  ? " 

"  Really,  Lettie,  I'm  awfully  sorry,  but  Seward  and 
I  have  got  to  go  now ;  something  important,  don't  you 
know."  Then  seeing  Lettie's  look  of  astonishment 
and  reproach,  and  a  suspicion  of  tears  gathering,  he 
added  hurriedly,  "Don't  be  foolish,  Lettie,  there's  a 
good  girl  I'll  make  it  all  right,"  and  he  bent  closer 
and  whispered  something  in  her  ear. 

The  clouds  partially  disappeared  from  the  girl's  face, 
but  she  allowed  Seward  to  get  the  benefit  of  an  accus- 
ing flash  from  her  eyes  as  he  came  toward  her.  He 
shifted  uneasily,  but  said,  with  an  effort  to  appear 
unembarrassed : 

"  You  and  Aunt  Lydia  can  take  the  buckboard  and 
drive  back  together  with  the  folks.  Sam  and  I  have 
urgent  business,  and  can't  stay.  Good  night." 

The  two  boys  hurried  off,  attracting  as  little  atten- 
tion as  possible  to  their  departure.  Lettie  thought  her 
evening  was  spoiled,  but  under  the  influence  of  the 
gaiety  around  her,  her  natural  vivacity  soon  reasserted 
itself,  and  she  joined  in  the  games  as  though  nothing 
had  happened.  The  games  of  forfeit  were  most  popu- 
lar, and  with  Axcy  Marthy,  Ashbel  Fair,  and  Barney 
O' Boyle  as  judges,  the  sentences  imposed  were  sure 
to  be  ingenious  and  mirth-provoking.  The  dapper  lit- 
tle minister  of  Midland  was  condemned  to  do  a  log-roll- 
ing act  on  an  empty  barrel  provided  for  the  purpose, 
and  his  carefully  prepared  gestures  in  the  pulpit  were 
never  half  so  expressive  as  the  impromptu  ones  with 
which  he  emphasized  this  performance;  nor  was  his 


20  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

congregation  ever  so  appreciative.  With  perfect  good 
nature  the  precise  little  man  made  himself  ridiculous 
and  crowned  his  efforts  with  the  expected  downfall. 

Big,  jolly  Pete  Murray,  who  had  the  fastest  horses  in 
the  district,  and  who  drew  the  biggest  load  of  logs  ever 
brought  into  Red-Keg,  was  ordered  by  Ashbel  Fair  to 
thread  a  cambric  needle  in  one  minute,  or  kiss  Axcy 
Marthy  on  the  tip  of  her  nose.  Failing  ignominiously 
in  the  first,  he  went  at  the  second  with  a  gusto,  but 
made  a  slight  mistake. 

"  Stop !  that's  my  mouth ! "  screamed  Axcy,  laughing 
and  blushing. 

"  Sure,  right  well  I  know  it ! "  shouted  the  giant  lum- 
berman in  glee.  "  An'  it's  a  reward,  not  a  forfeit,  so 
it  is." 

"  No  fair !  another  forfeit !  Make  him  pay  another ! " 
exclaimed  the  players  from  all  parts  of  the  room. 

"  Judge  "  Ashbel  agreed,  and  demanded  a  story  from 
the  grinning  Irishman. 

"  Good !  a  story !  a  story ! "  clamored  the  young  peo- 
ple, who  knew  that  Pete  Murray  was  famous  for  his 
wonderful  stories  of  the  "  ould  sod,"  and  that  he  always 
had  a  supply  on  tap. 

Nothing  loath,  the  jovial  lumberman  at  once  began  a 
yarn  that  became  taller  and  taller  until  it  was  drowned 
in  the  jeers  and  laughter  of  his  hearers. 

The  next  victim  was  "  Babe  "  Strander,  who  was  re- 
quired to  walk  on  a  straight  chalk  line  down  the  centre 
of  the  room,  with  a  penalty  of  a  pin-thrust  from  a  pretty 
girl  for  every  step  which  did  not  touch  the  line.  Nearly 
every  girl  in  the  room  had  a  jab  at  the  poor  fellow  as 
the  result  of  his  promenade. 

Ashbel  Fair,  falling,  in  his  turn,  under  the  condem- 
nation of  Judge  Axcy  Marthy,  was  ordered  to  preach 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  21 

a  five  minutes'  sermon  to  the  Midland  minister  on  the 
sin  of  frivolity.  Ashbel  was  disconcerted  for  a  moment 
only;  then  he  showed  that  the  mischievous  girl  had 
not  reckoned  in  vain  on  his  wit  and  readiness  for  a  lark. 
He  escorted  the  learned  young  domine  with  great  dig- 
nity to  a  seat  directly  in  front  of  the  platform,  mounted 
to  a  place  behind  the  teacher's  table,  and  in  solemn  tones 
delivered  an  impromptu  discourse  in  which  he  imitated 
the  minister's  own  manner  and  gestures,  and  raked  him 
over  the  coals  for  imaginary  offenses,  until  the  audience 
held  their  sides  with  laughter,  and  the  poor  minister 
protested  that  it  was  he  that  was  paying  the  forfeit,  and 
not  Ashbel. 

Hezekiah  Bloag,  one  of  the  wealthiest  men,  and  cer- 
tainly the  stingiest,  in  the  section,  being  subject  to  a 
forfeit,  was  called  upon  by  the  inexorable  Axcy,  the 
only  one  who  would  have  dared  to  do  such  a  thing,  to 
make  out  a  check  on  the  bank  of  Midland  for  twenty- 
five  dollars  for  the  widow  of  one  of  his  men  who  was 
killed  in  the  rollway  the  month  before.  A  cheer  went 
up  as  the  forfeit  was  imposed ;  but  Mr.  Bloag  refused 
to  be  "  bled  "  under  such  a  pretence. 

"For  shame!  Pay  the  forfeit!  It's  little  enough 
for  ye  to  do,"  urged  his  neighbors  and  acquaintances, 
vociferously. 

Finally  the  stingy  man  went  to  the  schoolmaster's 
table  and  made  out  a  check  in  due  form  for  the  twenty- 
five  dollars  payable  to  the  bereaved  widow.  A  shout 
of  applause  greeted  the  act,  and  Axcy  Marthy  was  con- 
gratulated on  scoring  an  unusual  victory;  but  later, 
when  the  check  was  presented  at  the  bank,  it  was  dis- 
covered that  the  old  skinflint  had  written  Bloog  instead 
of  Bloag,  and  the  check  was  not  worth  the  paper  it  was 
written  on. 


22  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

Barney  O'Boyle  had  been  enjoying  hugely  the  for- 
feits imposed  on  the  others,  and  was  laughing  boister- 
ously, when  suddenly  his  own  name  was  called.  He 
stopped  short  and  stared  at  Axcy  in  bewilderment. 

"  Come,  Barney,  it's  your  turn." 

"  Faith,  I'm  a  judge,  ain't  I  ? "  asked  Barney,  hoping 
for  immunity. 

"  Never  mind,  you've  got  to  take  your  share,  I'll 
act  as  judge,"  insisted  Axcy,  her  eyes  twinkling. 

Accordingly  the  rollicking  young  Irishman,  tall, 
lanky,  and  powerful,  took  his  seat  in  front  of  the 
judge. 

"  What  does  a  woman  need  most  to  keep  house  with  ? " 
asked  Axcy. 

"  Pins,"  replied  Barney  with  a  grin.  The  rules  re- 
quired that  the  answer  given  to  the  first  question  should 
be  repeated  for  every  other  question,  and  not  another 
word  should  be  spoken. 

"  What  would  you  give  the  girl  you  love  best  for  a 
wedding  present  ? " 

"  Pins,"  said  Barney,  at  the  same  time  shaking  his 
head  vigorously  to  belie  his  word. 

"What  makes  the  best  cushion  for  the  teacher's 
chair?" 

"  Pins ! "  shouted  Barney,  and  the  roar  of  laughter 
that  followed  shook  the  house.  Axcy  cast  a  languish- 
ing glance  at  the  schoolmaster  and  then,  turning  to 
Barney  again,  asked : 

"  What  did  the  boys  get  who  fixed  the  chair  ? " 

"  Pins ! "  and  another  roar  broke  loose. 

"  What  would  you  do  if  you  caught  another  fellow 
kissing  the  girl  you  love  ? " 

"  Smash  his — !  Begorry,  I  mean  *pins ' ;  but  he  bet 
ter  not  be  tryin'  it ! " 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  23 

"  A  forfeit !  a  forfeit ! "  came  the  cry  in  gleeful  tones 
from  all  over  the  room. 

Barney  was  covered  with  confusion.  He  had  never 
declared  his  love  to  any  girl,  and  his  bashfulness  made 
it  seem  impossible  for  him  to  do  so,  but  the  eyes  of  his 
friends  were  not  blind.  He  feared  now  he  had  com- 
promised himself. 

"The  sentence  of  the  court  is  that  you  now  sing 
a  serenade  to  one  Norine  Maloney,"  declared  Axcy 
maliciously. 

Barney  stared  at  his  tormentor  in  despair,  his  face 
red  as  a  beet. 

"  Sure,  I  can't  do  it.  I'm  no  singer,  an'  I  don't  know 
no  serrinades,"  he  begged. 

"  Yes,  you  can,  Barney.  You  arc  one  of  the  best 
singers  in  the  district,  and  the  court  will  give  you  two 
minutes  to  think  of  a  serenade.  Surely  you  will  not 
refuse  to  sing  to  such  a  nice  young  lady,"  replied  Axcy, 
in  her  sweetest  tones. 

Barney  glanced  at  where  Norine  sat  blushing  like  a 
rose.  He  was  seized  with  a  fit  of  trembling,  and  looked 
around  in  vain  for  a  way  of  escape.  The  clock  ticked 
loudly  on  the  wall.  Barney  scratched  his  head,  and 
slowly  a  gleam  of  fun  crept  into  his  rough,  honest  face. 
The  two  minutes  were  scarcely  up  when  he  strode 
over  to  Norine,  squared  his  shoulders,  knelt  on  one 
knee,  and  began  to  chant  in  a  solemn  voice : 

"  Mid  scenes  of  confusion  and  creature  complaints, 
How  sweet  to  my  soul  is  communion  with  saints." 

An  explosion  of  laughter  and  cheers  put  an  end  to 
the  serenade,  and  it  was  conceded  that  Barney  had 
turned  the  tables  on  his  persecutors. 

The  games  continued  for  some  time  longer,  and  then 


24  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

the  centre  of  the  room  was  cleared,  Jose,  the  champion 
fiddler  of  the  backwoods,  with  two  companions,  struck 
up  a  lively  tune,  and  in  a  jiffy  the  dance  was  in  full 
swing. 

Not  until  long  after  midnight  did  the  jolly  party 
break  up.  The  new  moon  had  set  long  ago,  and  only 
the  light  of  the  stars  and  the  lanterns  on  carriages  and 
wagons  enabled  the  home-goers  to  find  their  way. 

"Your  room  is  all  ready  for  you,  Robert,"  said 
Mother  Hawkins  to  the  backwoods  preacher.  "  You'll 
be  with  us  soon  ? " 

"To-morrow,  perhaps,  or  Saturday,"  replied  Allen. 

Lettie  whispered  to  her  aunt,  and  the  latter  called 
Barney. 

"  I  want  to  talk  with  Mrs.  Maloney,"  she  said.  "  You 
don't  mind  if  Lettie  and  I  ride  in  the  family  wagon  ? 
You  and  Norine  can  have  the  buckboard  and  return  it 
to  Seward  to-morrow." 

If  Barney  minded,  he  didn't  say  so,  and  Norine  was 
not  consulted,  but  she  had  reason  to  fear  that  her  com- 
panion had  lost  his  tongue  on  the  long  ride  home.  If 
she  had  known  how  much  he  longed  to  talk,  she  might 
have  taken  pity  on  him  and  helped  him  a  little,  but, 
instead,  she  repaid  his  taciturnity  with  a  like  silence, 
until  he  set  her  down  at  her  gate.  Then  she  said 
gently: 

"Good-night,  Barney." 

"  Good-night,"  he  replied. 

Joseph  Waters,  the  schoolmaster,  was  boarding  for  a 
fortnight  with  Abe  Davis,  about  a  mile  from  the  school- 
house.  The  road  zigzagged  through  a  piece  of  swale. 
Houses  were  far  apart,  and  on  a  dark  night  the  road 
was  uninviting.  An  old  lumber  shanty,  about  half- 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  25 

way  to  the  right,  was  a  favorite  resort  of  the  boys  in 
which  to  roast  game  or  fish  captured  from  woods  or 
river,  tip  the  jug,  sing  songs,  or  smoke  by  the  fireside. 
The  sturdy  schoolmaster  felt  no  fear  in  passing  through 
this  lonely  road  on  his  way  home,  but  his  experiences 
with  the  lawless  members  of  his  school  had  taught  him 
the  wisdom  of  always  being  on  his  guard.  He  had  told 
no  one  how,  going  to  the  school  very  early  on  the 
morning  of  closing  day  to  make  some  preparations,  he 
had  seen  the  five  boys  leaving  the  place,  had  quickly 
discovered  their  trick,  and  made  his  plans  for  check- 
mating them.  He  thought  it  better  to  keep  them  in 
the  dark.  He  was  now  debating  with  himself  whether 
he  should  accept  the  School  Board's  urgent  invitation 
to  undertake  another  term.  The  work  was  hard  and 
the  pay  small,  but  something  in  his  rugged  nature 
rebelled  against  the  thought  of  retreat  before  those 
young  bullies. 

"I  had  the  upper  hand  to-day;  but  am  I  strong 
enough  to  keep  it  ?  "  he  pondered.  "  There  is  some- 
thing good  and  noble  in  their  hearts,  if  it  can  only  be 
awakened  to  life.  What  grand  men  they  will  make  if 
they  can  be  conquered  without  breaking  their  spirits. 
Love  is  the  only  force  that  will  do  it." 

A  slight  noise  interrupted  his  thoughts.  He  was 
just  passing  the  shanty.  Some  one  in  a  muffled  tone 
said: 

"  Sic  'im,  Moscow ;  sic  'im ! " 

In  an  instant,  from  the  deeper  shadow  of  the  shanty 
a  great  body  sprang  out  and  rushed  toward  the  school- 
master. There  was  no  time  for  thought.  With  a  sin- 
gle leap  the  mighty  brute  cleared  the  ditch  at  the  right 
of  the  road  and  gathered  himself  for  another  spring, 
his  eyes  gleaming  through  the  darkness  like  coals  of 


26  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

fire.  Joe  Waters  was  an  athlete  and  agile  as  an  In- 
dian.  The  instant  the  savage  dog  made  his  second 
spring  the  schoolmaster  leaped  to  one  side,  and  the 
brute,  with  wide-open  jaws,  passed  him  and  was  car- 
ried, with  the  impetus  of  his  own  bound,  across  the 
narrow  roadway  and  into  the  ditch  filled  with  water  on 
the  other  side.  His  sudden  fall  and  cold  plunge  sur- 
prised and  dazed  him  for  some  seconds.  Then,  snarl- 
ing and  growling,  he  turned  and  laboriously  climbed 
the  slippery  clay  bank,  panting  with  rage.  Waters  saw 
his  opportunity,  and  planted  a  vigorous  kick  squarely 
under  the  jaws  of  the  snarling  beast.  The  dog  slipped 
back,  but  did  not  lose  his  hold  on  the  bank,  and  now, 
more  infuriated  than  ever,  pressed  forward  to  what  he 
knew  was  to  be  a  battle  to  the  death.  The  schoolmas- 
ter had  whipped  his  revolver  from  his  pocket,  and  waited 
only  to  get  a  sure  aim.  Almost  before  he  knew  it  the 
brute  was  on  him  again.  A  second  kick  was  not  so 
fortunate.  His  other  foot  slipped  in  the  mud,  and  be- 
fore he  could  recover  his  balance  the  bloodthirsty  beast 
had  sprung  for  his  throat.  Unconsciously  Waters  had 
raised  his  left  arm  as  a  guard,  and  the  iron  jaws,  instead 
of  finding  his  throat,  closed  upon  his  wrist  with  a 
crunching  that  sent  a  wave  of  fire  through  his  body. 
Then  a  flash  burst  from  the  revolver,  the  mass  of  dog- 
flesh  quivered,  the  jaws  loosened,  and  without  even  a 
groan  the  heavy  body  sank  at  the  schoolmaster's  feet, 
shot  through  the  brain  from  ear  to  ear. 

Waters  struck  a  match  and  examined  the  dog  closely. 
It  was  a  Great  Dane,  notorious  for  its  ferocity,  and  al- 
ways kept  chained  at  home  by  its  owner,  Jim  Gyde. 

"  That  settles  it,"  muttered  Waters  grimly.  "  I  shall 
stay." 


CHAPTER   III 

SAM  HAWKINS  never  took  kindly  to  work,  study,  or 
discipline.  For  years,  as  a  boy,  he  had  been  hand-and- 
glove  with  the  disturbing  element  in  District  School 
No.  i.  When  he  was  eighteen,  his  father,  then  a  lead- 
ing business  man  in  Midland,  and  Moderator  of  the 
School  Board,  had  sent  him  to  college  in  an  Eastern 
State,  hoping  that  the  training  and  discipline,  the  com- 
panionship of  other  young  men,  and  the  broader  out- 
look on  life  and  its  possibilities  there  furnished  might 
make  a  man  of  him.  Sam,  however,  quickly  formed  a 
close  .friendship  with  two  other  wild,  careless  youths, 
Walter  Hayward  and  Billy  Axford,  and  developed  still 
further  the  wrong  side  of  his  character.  Seward  Rath- 
away  had  persuaded  his  father  to  let  him  go  with  Sam 
to  the  same  college,  and  the  four  chums,  who  soon 
became  inseparable,  styled  themselves  "The  Invinci- 
bles."  At  the  end  of  a  four  years'  course,  Seward, 
whose  father  had  died  the  previous  year,  returned  to 
Red-Keg,  while  Sam  went  with  Walter  Hayward  to 
visit  the  latter's  palatial  home  in  New  York.  He 
returned  in  the  fall,  a  vain,  lazy  youth,  discontented 
with  life  as  he  found  it  in  the  backwoods,  but  without 
an  aim  or  ambition  to  make  a  better  way  for  himself. 

Sam's  father,  finding  that  the  strain  of  his  business 
was  undermining  his  health,  and  realizing,  with  pain  at 
his  heart,  that  his  son  could  not  step  into  his  place, 
had  sold  out  immediately  after  sending  Sam  to  college 
and  retired  to  a  farm  of  two  hundred  and  forty  acres 


28  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

about  three  miles  north  of  Red-Keg,  in  connection  with 
which  he  owned  also  a  quarter-section  of  fairly  good 
pine  timber.  This  property  offered  Sam  a  good  oppor- 
tunity, but  he  scorned  the  work  and  refused  to  help  on 
the  farm  or  in  the  woods.  He  quickly  developed  a 
fondness  for  hunting,  and  spent  most  of  his  time  in  that 
pursuit,  as  often  as  not  being  accompanied  by  Seward. 
His  good  looks  and  a  certain  distinction  of  manner 
made  him  for  a  time  popular  with  the  young  people ; 
but  his  assumption  of  superiority,  and  his  unconcealed 
distaste  for  social  intercourse  with  his  neighbors,  soon 
isolated  him  from  nearly  all  the  better  element. 

"Can't  bear  the  clumsy  frolics  of  these  country 
gawks.  They're  an  awful  bore,  don't  you  know,"  he 
remarked  to  Seward,  as  they  left  the  schoolhouse  on 
the  evening  of  the  closing  festivities. 

Upon  Lettie  Green,  however,  he  conferred  the  honor 
of  an  immediate  regard,  which  for  a  time  seemed  genu- 
ine and  deep,  and  the  sprightly,  ambitious  girl  repaid  it 
with  a  wealth  of  affection  and  an  unswerving  loyalty 
for  which  many  of  the  youths  in  the  region  had  wooed 
in  vain.  Her  coquetry,  hitherto  her  strong  defense, 
failed  her  when  Sam  Hawkins,  fresh  from  the  great 
metropolis,  laid  claim  to  her  heart.  The  innate  selfish- 
ness of  the  man  showed  itself  on  the  occasion  of  the 
school  festivities,  when  he  not  only  deprived  Lettie  of 
his  own  promised  escort,  but  dragged  her  cousin  Sew- 
ard away  also  to  listen  to  his  great  scheme. 

"  I  tell  you  I've  made  the  greatest  discovery  of  our 
lives,"  he  asserted  again  to  Seward,  as  the  two  seated 
themselves  in  the  corner  of  a  tavern  well  known  to 
Sam.  "  It  will  make  our  fortunes  if  we  work  it  right, 
don't  you  know.  We  must  send  for  Walt  and  Billy  at 
once" 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  29 

"  For  heaven's  sake,  quit  beating  about  the  bush,  and 
let  out  your  story,"  exclaimed  Seward. 

"  You  must  swear  not  to  reveal  the  secret  to  a  soul. 
It  would  make  it  worthless  to  us  if  any  one  else  should 
know  of  it." 

"  Oh,  that's  agreed,  of  course ;  go  on  with  your  tale." 

"  Good !  My  yam  to  Lettie  about  being  treed  by  a 
bear  was  partly  true,  don't  you  know;  but  I  had  my 
gun,  and  a  shot  only  grazed  the  beast,  and  she  slipped 
off  into  the  swamp.  I  was  bound  to  get  her  if  possi- 
ble, and  followed  the  best  way  I  could.  There's  a  long 
ridge  of  rock  running  out  into  the  swamp  about  six 
miles  north  of  Red-Keg,  and  nearly  three  from  the 
road.  That's  where  I  found  myself  after  chasing  the 
bear  for  half  an  hour  or  more.  I  came  to  a  place  where 
a  point  of  flat  rock  dips  down  into  a  narrow  lagoon. 
There  I  was  stumped — couldn't  go  any  farther,  don't 
you  know,  and  old  bruin  seemed  to  have  given  me  the 
slip.  Besides  that,  I  was  winded,  and  glad  to  sit  down 
for  a  rest.  It  must  have  been  a  quarter  of  an  hour 
later  when  out  bobbed  the  old  bear  with  two  cubs  on 
the  opposite  shore  of  the  lagoon  not  more  than  fifty  feet 
farther  on.  She  saw  me  as  soon  as  I  did  her  and  made 
a  dive  with  the  cubs  into  the  water.  Of  course  I  let 
them  have  both  barrels  as  quick  as  I  could,  but  when 
the  smoke  cleared  away  not  a  sign  of  bear,  dead  or 
alive,  was  to  be  seen.  It's  hard  to  say  whether  I  was 
more  mad  or  puzzled,  don't  you  know.  They  got  away 
somewhere,  that  was  sure,  and  the  only  direction  seemed 
to  be  by  water.  I  couldn't  let  them  off  so  easy  as  that, 
even  though  it  was  getting  late,  so  I  crawled  out  on  a 
log  ten  or  fifteen  feet  into  the  lagoon  till  I  could  see 
that  it  bent  around  and  widened  out  into  what  looked 
like  navigable  water.  I  got  the  log  loose  and  managed 


30  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

to  roll  another  one  down  beside  it  and  fasten  the  two 
together  with  swamp  grass  and  green  branches.  This 
made  quite  a  respectable  raft,  and,  with  a  long  pole,  I 
pushed  out  into  the  swamp.  By  Jove!  I  was  on  a 
regular  canal.  It  twisted  and  turned  to  every  point 
of  the  compass,  and  often  I  could  hardly  get  my  logs 
around  the  bends.  Just  as  I  was  on  the  point  of  giv- 
ing up  and  picking  my  way  back,  I  heard  falling  water, 
and,  around  another  turn — 

"  Well,  what  in  thunder  are  you  stopping  for  ?  "  ex- 
claimed Seward,  as  Sam  paused  to  make  his  announce- 
ment more  impressive. 

"An  island!" 

"Humph!    Is  that  all?" 

"All,  man!  A  fairyland!  A  mystic  isle,  hidden 
from  the  world,  with  a  big  cave,  a  regular  grotto,  and 
a  sweet  spring  of  water !  What  more  do  you  want  ? 
Isn't  it  just  the  place  for  the  Invincibles,  and  our — our 
little — enterprise,  don't  you  know  ? " 

"That's  so;  it  does  sound  interesting,"  admitted 
Seward. 

"Interesting!  We  must  send  for  Walt  and  Billy 
this  very  night,"  exclaimed  Sam,  in  a  tone  which  im- 
plied that  he  had  given  the  matter  all  the  consideration 
it  needed. 

"  What !  before  I  have  even  seen  the  place  ? "  expos- 
tulated Seward. 

"Not  a  day  to  lose,"  replied  Sam  "That's  why  I 
bothered  to  come  way  down  here  to-night  to  see  you. 
Had  to  spend  last  night  in  my  new  domain,  don't  you 
know;  it  got  so  late  before  I  finished  exploring  it. 
Walt  wrote  in  his  last  letter  that  he  had  about  made 
up  his  mind  to  go  travelling  in  Europe  again  with  his 
folks  the  first  of  May,  though  he  thinks  it's  an  awful 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  3I 

bore.  He  may  be  gone  in  a  week.  There's  a  train 
East  from  here  to-night.  I  must  get  a  letter  off  to 
Walt  on  that.  You  write  to  Billy,  and  both  letters 
can  go  by  to-night's  train.  Yours  will  be  sent  West 
from  Saginaw  and  will  get  to  Billy  about  the  same  time 
Walt  gets  his.  We'll  likely  hear  from  them  inside  a 
fortnight." 

Seward  agreed,  and  the  following  letter  was  quickly 
prepared : 

"RED-KEG,  Thursday,  April  22d,  1868. 

"DEAR  WALTER:  I  have  made  a  grand  discovery. 
I  have  unearthed  a  veritable  Garden  of  Eden,  and  it  is 
situated  in  the  midst  of  this  wicked  portion  of  the  earth. 
It  is  as  secluded  as  though  it  were  on  the  planet  Mars. 
We  intend  to  keep  it  so.  Seward  has  written  to  Billy, 
and  we  both  want  you  to  come  on  here  at  your  earliest 
convenience.  Do  you  remember  how  we  once  longed 
for  just  such  a  secret  place  where  we  could  carry  on 
our '  experiments '  ?  Well,  we  have  at  last  found  it,  and 
it's  just  an  ideal  spot.  Come  prepared  for  roughing  it 
for  the  summer.  Hastily  but  sincerely  yours, 

"SAM." 

A  copy  was  written  for  Billy  Axf ord  and  both  were 
taken  to  the  agent  at  the  railroad  station,  who  agreed 
to  see  that  they  were  despatched  on  the  night  train. 

"  I  suppose  we  may  as  well  go  back  now,"  suggested 
Seward. 

"  Oh,  you  don't  care  for  those  kindergarten  games," 
replied  Sam.  "  Besides,  the  less  questioning  we  have 
to  submit  to  the  better  for  us,  don't  you  know.  They 
don't  expect  us  again  to-night." 

"  Well,  where  shall  we  go  ?  I  don't  propose  to  walk 
home  seven  miles  this  time  of  night.  There  is  no  train 
till  morning." 


32  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

"  Bedell  will  lend  us  his  buckboard  and  we  can  both 
go  to  your  house,  get  some  sleep,  and  start  early  for 
our  new  possessions,"  said  Sam. 

Accordingly  they  hunted  up  Rodney  Bedell's  house. 
He  was  out,  explained  his  mother,  but  of  course  he 
would  be  pleased  to  let  Sam  and  Seward  take  the  buck- 
board;  no,  she  didn't  know  where  Rodney  was;  she 
supposed  he  was  at  the  school  dance. 

Before' the  sun  was  up,  the  two  young  men  were  on 
their  way  to  the  great  swamp.  Seward's  excitement 
rose  as  his  chum  dilated  on  the  beauties,  the  mystery, 
and  the  possibilities  of  the  hidden  island.  As  to  its 
inaccessibility,  he  had  ample  evidence  before  reaching 
the  end  of  the  trip.  The  swamp  covered  hundreds  of 
acres  in  the  heart  of  the  forest,  and  was  impassable  on 
foot.  A  man  cared  little  for  life  who  would  attempt  to 
cross  it.  Sink-holes  were  numerous,  and  the  surface 
of  the  ground  was  covered  with  fallen  timber  criss- 
crossed and  piled  up  until  it  presented  an  impenetrable 
barrier  to  progress.  Even  in  the  severest  winter 
weather  the  sink-holes  were  seldom  frozen  hard  enough 
to  bear  the  weight  of  a  man.  The  place  had  attrac- 
tions for  neither  farmer  nor  hunter,  lumberman  nor 
trapper.  A  few  tamarack-trees  remained  standing  here 
and  there,  dead,  with  their  bare  limbs  spreading  spec- 
tre-like over  the  uninviting  scene  of  desolation.  This 
swamp  was  apparently  as  impenetrable  and  as  safe 
from  encroachment  as  the  famous  "valley  of  death  "  of 
Southern  Arizona.  At  a  certain  place  a  ridge  of  sand 
and  rock,  as  Sam  had  said,  ran  out  from  the  forest  far 
into  thff  swamp,  forming  a  narrow  cape.  At  the  end  it 
tapered  gradually  down  to  a  low  point  of  flat  rock  which 
dipped  into  one  of  the  countless  lagoons  of  clear  deep 
water.  There  was  no  beach  or  muddy  bank,  and  noth- 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  33 

ing  to  distinguish  the  pool  of  water,  as  seen  from  the 
rock,  from  any  of  the  numberless  sink-holes  of  the 
region. 

Sam  had  provided  himself  with  rope,  hammer,  nails, 
and  axe.  Reaching  the  rocky  point,  they  proceeded  to 
reconstruct  their  raft  with  three  logs,  well  fastened  to- 
gether, and  each  man  cut  a  stout  pole.  As  they  pushed 
off,  it  seemed  to  Seward  that  they  would  surely  run 
plump  into  the  tall,  rank  grass  at  what  appeared  to  be 
the  other  end  of  the  lagoon ;  but  in  an  instant  he  saw 
an  opening  to  the  left  into  a  second  lagoon,  which  also 
seemingly  ended  abruptly.  This  opened  in  like  manner 
into  a  third,  and  so  on. 

"  Talk  about  exploring ! "  exclaimed  Seward,  as  they 
worked  their  long  raft  with  difficulty  around  the  short 
bends  in  the  channel ;  "  no  one  would  imagine  there 
was  anything  but  swamp  here,  surely." 

"That's  the  beauty  of  it,"  replied  Sam;  "and  we  can 
close  the  opening  from  the  first  lagoon  with  an  artificial 
hedge  of  swamp  grass  rigged  up  to  look  like  the  real 
thing  from  a  little  distance.  Then  we  might  be  in  the 
heart  of  Africa  so  far  as  any  attempts  to  find  us  are 
concerned." 

"We'll  need  an  Indian  canoe  and  paddles,"  said 
Seward,  after  the  end  of  the  raft  had  become  entangled 
two  or  three  times  in  the  grass  at  the  sides  of  the  canal. 
"  That  is  the  only  proper  way  to  navigate  these  waters." 

"  Yes,  we  shall  want  at  least  two  of  them  when  Walt 
and  Billy  come,"  assented  Sam.  "There!  Don't  you 
hear  the  waterfall  ? " 

Seward  listened  a  moment,  and  then  exclaimed : 

"  Right  you  are !  I  suppose  we  ought  to  shout  *  Land ! 
land ! '  only  it  seems  to  be  water." 

"  You'll  see  the  land  quick  enough,"  laughed  Sam. 


34  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

Another  turn,  two  or  three  hard  pushes  with  the 
poles,  and  the  two  explorers,  huddling  together  as  far 
as  possible  at  the  rear  of  their  raft  to  tip  the  forward 
end  up,  drove  the  three  logs  upon  a  shelving  rock 
similar  to  the  one  from  which  they  had  embarked,  but 
presenting  to  the  water  a  concave  edge  like  a  horse- 
shoe, and  thus  forming  an  excellent  boat-landing. 

"  Splendid ! "  shouted  Seward,  as  he  sprang  ashore. 
"  You  failed  to  do  it  justice,  my  boy ;  it's  a  paradise ! " 

The  beautiful  island  on  which  they  landed  presented 
a  striking  contrast  to  the  surrounding  dreary  desola- 
tion. It  was  perhaps  ten  acres  in  area,  and  was  nicely 
timbered,  free  from  underbrush,  and  provided  by  nature 
with  a  copious  spring  gushing  out  of  a  ledge  of  rocks. 
This  spring  was  clear  and  limpid  as  crystal,  cold,  and 
refreshing,  and  never-failing.  It  was  the  source  of  a 
deep,  quiet  stream  that  cut  its  way  through  the  bog 
with  apparently  no  fall  or  current.  From  the  island  it 
circled  around  to  the  north  a  short  distance,  and  then 
branched,  one  fork  continuing  in  a  northerly  direction, 
the  other  southward  to  the  rock  from  whence  the  young 
men  had  come.  There  was  no  apparent  outlet  in  either 
direction.  The  north  branch  led  up  to  the  extreme 
southern  end  of  the  burnt  hills,  and  ended  abruptly  at 
the  foot  of  a  gigantic  willow-tree.  Both  branches  were 
equally  hidden  in  the  tall  grass  of  the.  swamp,  and  both 
gave  access  to  the  island  from  points  several  miles 
apart. 

"  Come  up  and  see  our  grotto,"  called  Sam,  leading 
the  way  directly  over  the  centre  of  the  island,  which 
was  its  highest  point,  and  from  which  they  could  see 
the  swamp  in  all  directions.  In  the  distance  the  forest 
and  the  hills  were  visible,  but  this  particular  bit  of 
land  was  not  high  enough  to  be  distinguishable  from 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  35 

the  swamp  or  the  forest.  Near  the  northern  end  of 
the  island  was  the  cave,  running  into  the  ledge  of  rocks 
from  which  the  waterfall  issued  on  the  south.  It  was 
a  really  wonderful  cavern,  large  and  roomy,  with  an 
opening  high  enough  to  enter  while  standing  erect,  and 
broadening  within  to  a  diameter  of  nearly  twenty  feet 
and  a  height  of  twelve  to  fifteen.  Two  or  three  other 
smaller  chambers  connected  with  the  first,  and  from 
the  farthest  a  small  opening  let  them  out  again  to  the 
surface  of  the  island.  A  circulation  of  air  thus  kept 
the  interior  dry  and  habitable. 

"  With  a  little  digging  and  clearing  and  fixing  up,  we 
can  make  those  caves  as  snug  and  cozy  as  a  castle,"  de- 
clared Sam. 

"It  can't  be  beat,  that's  a  fact;  but  it  will  take 
money  to  fit  the  place  up.  How  are  we  going  to  get 
it  ? "  asked  Seward. 

"  Leave  that  to  Walt  and  Billy.  That's  what  they 
are  good  for,"  replied  Sam  with  a  laugh.  Then,  as 
though  announcing  his  guiding  principle,  he  added: 
"  What's  the  use  of  sweating  when  you  can  let  some- 
body else  do  it  for  you  ? " 

They  were  strolling  through  a  clump  of  pine-trees  on 
their  way  to  the  farthest  end  of  the  island,  when  Seward 
suddenly  exclaimed  in  an  excited  whisper : 

"  Look,  Sam !  Get  your  gun  ready ;  you're  a  better 
shot  than  I  am.  There ! " 

Turning  in  the  direction  indicated,  Sam  observed  a 
large  wildcat  creeping  toward  them.  As  he  raised  his 
rifle,  the  beast  turned  to  retreat.  A  bullet  stopped 
him,  and  he  rolled  over  with  scarcely  a  struggle. 

"We're  not  the  first  inhabitants,  at  any  rate,"  re- 
marked  Sam.  "  I'm  glad  that  chap  didn't  find  me  last 
night.  We  must  thrash  the  island  thoroughly  before 


36  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

establishing  an  abode  here.  And  now  to  business. 
You  remember  old  Pomp  and  his  wife  ? " 

"  Who  took  care  of  the  Invincibles'  house  at  college  ? 
Yes." 

"  When  the  boys  come  we'll  send  for  that  old  couple, 
and  Pomp  can  help  us  prepare  our  *  experiments.'  You 
remember  he  said  he  was  an  old  hand  at  the  business 
before  we  picked  him  up.  The  woman  can  cook  and 
keep  the  place  in  order.  Pete  will  be  glad  to  assist  at 
the  business  end.  Meanwhile,  we  can  improve  the  ac- 
commodations of  the  castle." 

The  forenoon  quickly  passed  in  thus  exploring  and 
planning,  and,  after  eating  a  luncheon  hastily  put  to- 
gether in  the  morning,  the  two  conspirators  returned 
to  their  raft  and  pushed  off  into  the  lagoon. 

"  We  must  drive  in  to  Midland  this  afternoon  with 
Rodney's  buckboard,"  said  Sam.  "  You  can  take  yours, 
too,  and  we  can  return  together." 

Half-way  to  Seward's  house,  they  were  overtaken  on 
the  road  by  Ros  Whitmore,  who  pulled  up  his  horse 
and  greeted  them  cordially. 

"We  missed  ye  last  night,"  he  exclaimed,  "and  you 
missed  a  mighty  good  time.  What  took  ye  off  so  sud- 
den ? "  He  looked  reprovingly  at  Seward. 

"  Something  else  on  hand,"  replied  Sam,  shortly, 

"  We  were  called  off  on  urgent  business  that  came  up 
unexpectedly.  I  was  sorry  to  miss  the  fun ;  but  busi- 
ness before  pleasure,  you  know,"  explained  Seward,  in 
a  more  conciliatory  tone. 

Ros  Whitmore  was  everywhere  popular.  He  made 
friends  by  showing  himself  friendly.  Though  devoted 
to  his  own  large  family,  and  working  hard  to  keep  those 
of  his  fourteen  children  who  were  dependent  upon  him 
supplied  with  the  necessaries  of  life,  he  yet  found  time 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  37 

and  occasion  to  exert  himself  for  others.  He  had  al- 
ready done  Seward  more  than  one  good  turn,  and  the 
young  man  did  not  wish  to  offend  him. 

"Now  look  here,"  went  on  Ros,  with  animation, 
"  it's  just  sheer  luck  that  I  met  ye.  I  can't  get  every- 
where, and  there's  heaps  o'  ground  to  cover.  You 
two  can  help  a  sight — Hold  up,  Jenny,  we'll  be  goin' 
soon. 

"  Ye  see,  it's  this  way,"  with  a  turn  of  the  line  around 
his  hand  to  restrain  his  impatient  horse ;  "  Parson  Allen 
has  been  workin'  all  winter  out  among  us  boys  and  the 
shantymen  in  the  woods,  and  never  got  a  cent.  Why, 
bless  your  heart,"  as  he  saw  a  look  of  surprise  on  Sew- 
ard's  face,  "he  could  have  earned  his  stake  with  the 
best  of  'em,  ef  he'd  been  a  mind  to,  but  that  dear  saint 
wouldn't  let  his  name  go  on  no  time  book,  'cause  he 
said  he  wanted  to  be  free  to  go  and  come  from  one 
camp  to  another  as  he  felt  called  to ;  and  he  worked 
with  the  men  just  to  git  the  chance  to  be  with  'em 
close,  on  their  own  ground,  and  talk  to  'em,  and  let  'em 
see  he  loved  'em,  and  didn't  set  himself  up  above  'em, 
and  to  show  'em  a  man  could  work  hard  in  the  woods 
night  and  day  'thout  swearin'  and  drinkin'  and  fightin'. 
Lord!  he  wouldn't  take  no  pay,  though  he  done  as 
much  real  work  as  any,  and  done  it  clean  as  a  whistle, 
too.  That  kind  of  pay  warn't  what  he  was  after.  He 
figured  that  ef  he  took  pay  the  boys  would  jest  think 
he  was  there  for  what  he  could  earn,  and  wouldn't  pay 
no  great  'tention  to  him.  Anyhow,  that's  the  way  your 
father  thinks  he  figured  it,"  glancing  at  Sam. 

"  What  has  all  this  got  to  do  with  us  ? "  asked  Sam, 
impatiently. 

"  The  pint  is  jest  this.  As  I  said,  the  Elder  ain't  got 
a  cent  to  show  for  his  winter's  work.  Maybe  you  two 


38  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

don't  know  that  he's  been  doin'  that  same  thing  every 
winter  goin'  on  six,  seven  years  in  this  region,  and  he 
don't  get  no  regular  pay  for  preachin'  and  ministerin' 
from  Red-Keg  to  Sixteen,  and  all  the  settlements  here- 
abouts the  year  'round." 

"  How  in  the  world  does  he  live  ? "  asked  Seward. 

"  Jest  as  it  comes  to  him.  He  says  all  is  the  Lord's, 
and  he  is  the  Lord's,  and  the  Lord  will  provide  ef  he 
sticks  to  the  Lord's  business ;  and  to  tell  the  truth, 
I  ain't  never  seen  him  goin'  hungry  or  naked,  and 
wouldn't  allow  it  ef  I  did,  neither  would  any  one  else 
as  I  know  of." 

"  Very  good ;  glad  to  know  the  good  man  is  so  well 
off,"  said  Sam  sarcastically,  as  Ros  paused  an  instant. 
"  Just  now,  we've  got  business  in  town,  and  must  leave 
a  discussion  of  the  Parson's  self-sacrificing  labors  and 
his  providential  rewards  till  a  more  leisure  hour,  don't 
you  know." 

"  Hold  on,  don't  get  uneasy,"  went  on  Ros,  good- 
naturedly,  "  I'm  comin'  'round  to  the  text  in  my  usial 
backhanded  fashion.  The  fact  is,  us  boys,  meanin'  me, 
and  Pete  Murray,  and  Bob  Landseer,  and  Tom  Moore, 
and  Barney  O'Boyle,  and  John  Maloney,  and  some 
others,  have  talked  it  over  with  Farmer  Hawkins,  and 
decided  to  give  the  Elder  a  darnation  party." 

Seward  laughed.  "A  donation  party,  you  mean," 
he  said. 

"  Course  I  do.  It  ain't  no  swearin'  matter.  I  want 
you  to  help." 

"  Excuse  me ;  that's  a  line  of  work  I'm  not  acquainted 
with,"  sneered  Sam.  The  mention  of  Barney  O'Boyle's 
name  as  one  of  the  movers  in  the  affair  had  especially 
riled  him.  He  had  taken  an  immediate  dislike  to  the 
outspoken,  independent  young  Irishman,  whom  he  had 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  39 

found  occupying,  as  he  thought,  a  too  important  place 
in  his  father's  household. 

"Is  there  any  line  of  work — ?"  began  Ros  Whit- 
more.  Then  he  laughed.  "  It's  nothin'  but  to  let  folks 
know,"  he  said.  "  Bein'  so  scattered,  it  takes  everybody 
to  spread  the  news.  To-day's  Friday.  The  Elder  is 
comin'  up  to  the  Hawkins  place  to-morrow  to  stay  two, 
three  weeks.  May  hold  prayer-meetin'  in  the  ell  on 
Sunday.  We  lay  out  to  have  the  darn — donation  party 
Tuesday  afternoon.  We  want  every  man  we  can  git 
aholt  of  in  time  to  come,  and  especially  the  women, 
and  every  mother's  son  and  daughter  must  bring  some 
donation,  don't  matter  what,  'slong  as  it  has  value.  So 
long,  boys,  glad  I  met  ye,"  and  Ros  gave  Jenny  the 
rein  and  was  soon  out  of  sight. 

**  Well,  I'm  not ! "  ejaculated  Sam,  replying  to  Ros's 
last  remark.  "  It's  a  pretty  state  of  affairs  to  have  the 
house  turned  into  a  parsonage  and  filled  with  psalm- 
singers,  and  a  hired  laborer  strutting  about  the  parlor 
as  master  of  ceremonies.  You  won't  get  me  into  such 
a  mix-up."  He  waited  a  moment.  Then  he  laughed 
grimly  and  added :  "  Our  castle  on  Mystic  Isle  will  be 
likely  to  find  me  a  more  constant  visitor  than  I  thought, 
don't  you  know." 


CHAPTER   IV 

**  THAT  dear  woman  certainly  does  have  her  share  of 
trials,  Robert.  Little  Ben  is  wasted  to  a  shadow  with 
the  rickets ;  Ray  broke  his  wrist  falling  over  the  stone 
wall ;  Tilly  can't  seem  to  get  rid  of  that  cough ;  Bess 
got  the  end  of  a  needle  in  her  thumb ;  Tom  lost  his 
shoes  in  the  creek  and  was  nearly  drowned  fishing  for 
them.  I  don't  remember  the  rest,  but  it  seems  to  me 
that  all  of  them  are  doing  something  to  add  to  the  gen- 
eral worry.  Yet  Jule  hasn't  a  word  of  complaint,  and 
by  the  way  she  sings  about  the  house  you'd  suppose 
there  wasn't  a  cloud  in  the  sky." 

Mother  Hawkins  finished  laying  away  her  wraps,  and 
sat  down  in  the  calico-covered  rocking-chair  with  a  sigh 
of  relief. 

"  You  have  been  out  to  The  Corners  ? "  asked  Allen. 

"Yes,  there  were  so  many  things  the  dear  lambs 
needed,  and  so  few  hands  to  do  them,  now  that  Jenny 
and  Lucy  are  out  at  service." 

"You  are  always  ministering,  Susan.  It's  the  *  inas- 
much '  way,"  said  Allen,  smiling. 

"  Oh,  it's  little  enough  I  can  do,  and  I  guess  it  don't 
count  much,  except  as  a  means  of  grace  to  my  own 
heart,"  replied  Mother  Hawkins.  "  Now  with  you  it's 
different ;  you  have  come  to  be  a  real  necessity,  and  the 
people  are  at  last  beginning  to  realize  it." 

"  Every  man  is  necessary  to  God's  plan  in  some  way, 
Susan;  but  no  man  can  claim  any  credit  for  doing 

40 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  41 

what  has  been  put  upon  him  to  do.  I  need  to  do  the 
work  for  my  own  sake,  just  as  you  have  said  yourself. 
'For  though  I  preach  the  gospel,  I  have  nothing  to 
glory  of,  for  necessity  is  laid  upon  me;  yea,  woe  is  me 
if  I  preach  not  the  gospel.'  Paul  must  have  remem- 
bered his  great  sin,  and  felt  a  deeper  sense  of  need 
when  he  wrote  that.  And  I  can  say  with  David,  *  My 
sin  is  ever  before  me.' " 

"  But  remember,  Robert,  He  cast  it  all  behind  his 
back  long  ago,"  said  Susan,  gently. 

"  Yes,  and  He  has  given  peace  in  place  of  bitterness ; 
but  He  gave  also  work  as  a  necessary  condition  to 
peace." 

Mother  Hawkins  was  silent. 

Presently  the  minister  said,  in  a  low  voice  that  choked 
as  he  spoke : 

"  I  cannot  forget  Ruth,  Susan." 

Mother  Hawkins  made  no  reply,  but  soon  a  tear,  fol- 
lowed quickly  by  another,  rolled  down  her  cheeks  into 
her  lap, 

"Come,  Mother,  let's  get  dinner  out  of  the  way 
early,"  said  Farmer  Hawkins,  bustling  in.  "  I'll  talk 
with  Robert  a  while."  Then  he  added  in  a  whisper 
as  his  wife  came  toward  him :  "  They'll  be  here  along 
about  three  o'clock.  I  just  saw  Tom  Moore.  He 
says  there'll  be  a  crowd." 

"You  mustn't  go  out  this  afternoon,  Robert,"  he 
said,  after  Mother  Hawkins  had  left  the  room.  "  Some 
of  the  neighbors  were  talking  about  dropping  in  for  a 
friendly  call.  They  haven't  had  much  time  to  visit 
with  you  since  last  fall,  and  we  ought  not  to  let  the 
neighborly  spirit  die  out." 

"  Little  fear  of  that,  I  judge,  while  there  is  such  hos- 


42  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

pitality  to  be  found  as  this  home  always  affords,"  replied 
the  minister. 

"  I've  just  got  that  acre  and  a  quarter  lot  cleared  of 
stumps,"  continued  Farmer  Hawkins,  ignoring  the  bit 
of  flattery.  "  I  paid  Ros  Whitmore  a  hundred  dollars 
to  do  the  job,  but  although  he  managed  it  well,  so  far 
as  I  could  see,  I'm  afraid  he  lost  money  on  it.  I've 
given  him  another  lot  at  the  same  price  with  not  more 
than  half  the  number  of  stumps,  so  I  guess  he  can 
average  up  all  right." 

"  Stump-pulling  is  the  worst  feature  of  farming  in 
this  region,  truly,"  said  the  minister. 

"  Yes,  and  you  can't  dodge  it  any  more  than  you  can 
dodge  the  stumps  themselves  when  you  try  to  plough 
a  field  which  has  not  been  cleared.  If  they  would  only 
decay  in  a  few  years,  one  might  wait,  but  they  all  have 
to  be  grubbed  and  pulled,  one  by  one.  It  adds  quite 
an  item  to  the  cost  of  land." 

"  But  not  when  you  get  the  original  yield  of  timber," 
said  Allen.  "Your  neighbor  Maloney  gets  enough 
from  his  logs  on  one  acre  to  pay  for  pulling  stumps 
from  several  others,  with  some  to  spare." 

"To  be  sure,  and  I'm  glad  for  John.  If  any  man 
deserves  to  succeed,  he  does.  His  eight  years'  strug- 
gle with  the  wilderness  is  only  just  beginning  to  yield 
him  a  little  comfort.  Barring  his  clump  of  good  pine, 
his  choice  of  land  was  not  fortunate.  Too  much  sand 
in  some  places,  too  much  clay  in  others.  He  might 
have  had  this  quarter  as  well  as  not,  before  I  took  it 
into  my  head  to  come  out  here." 

"  Does  Maloney  ever  hear  from  his  folks  ? "  asked 
the  minister. 

"  Only  now  and  then  from  his  brother  Orrin.  John 
is  too  proud  to  make  advances,  or  to  accept  favors  from 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  43 

those  who  cast  him  off  because  he  married  the  girl  he 
loved.  He  cherishes  no  resentment,  I  believe,  but  he 
is  bent  on  making  his  own  way." 

"  His  brother  Orrin  was  always  his  friend,  was  he 
not?" 

"  Yes,  but  not  openly.  He  is  still  in  partnership 
with  his  old  father  in  Belfast,  and  while  the  latter  lives, 
Orrin  wishes  to  keep  peace  with  him." 

"  John  made  a  pretty  fair  haul  of  logs  this  spring. 
Why  don't  you  cut  some  of  yours,  or  sell  the  stump- 
age  ? "  suggested  the  minister,  who  saw  with  a  lumber- 
man's practical  eye  the  values  in  Farmer  Hawkins's 
outlying  quarter-section  of  pine. 

"  I  suppose  it  will  have  to  come  to  that  soon,"  replied 
Josiah,  "although  my  quarter  is  hardly  first-class  lum- 
ber pine.  I  have  thought  of  organizing  a  camp  of  my 
own  down  there,  taking  out  a  shingle-mill,  and  cutting 
the  logs  into  shingles  on  the  spot.  There  will  be  quite 
a  yield,  I  know.  Perhaps  I  may  do  it  next  winter." 

"  You  can  have  your  pick  of  the  boys,  that's  certain," 
said  Allen,  approvingly, 

"  The  truth  is,"  went  on  Josiah,  "  I  have  never  yet 
been  able  to  cut  trees  without  a  pang.  I  love  them — 
all  of  them — and  some  of  them  in  particular.  You  see 
those  noble  oaks,  and  that  big  beech  yonder,  and  those 
maple-trees  ? "  he  said,  rising  and  leading  the  minister 
out  upon  the  veranda.  "  Did  I  never  tell  you  what  a 
struggle  I  had  with  my  men,  when  clearing  the  farm, 
to  make  them  leave  those  beautiful  trees  untouched  ? 
All  over  the  place  I  tried  to  preserve  for  shade  and 
ornament  certain  trees  on  which  I  had  fixed  my  affec- 
tions ;  but  the  boys  would  persist  in  consigning  my 
leafy  pets  to  the  axe  or  the  flames.  The  workmen 
meant  well,  no  doubt,  but  indifference,  thoughtlessness, 


44  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

and  habit  led  them  to  sacrifice  my  idols  in  spite  of  re- 
peated warnings.  I  never  could  impress  upon  them 
the  value,  still  less  the  beauty,  of  a  good  green  tree  in 
the  right  place.  One  of  the  strongest  reasons  I  had 
for  buying  this  particular  section,  aside  from  John's 
earnest  wish  that  I  should  be  his  neighbor — a  feeling, 
by  the  way,  which  I  shared — was  the  fact  that  it  con- 
tained such  a  variety  of  trees,  many  of  them  growing 
free  in  clearings,  as  if  they  had  stepped  out  from  the 
crowded  forest  to  stretch  their  splendid  limbs  and 
plume  their  gorgeous  foliage  in  the  broad  light  of  day. 
It  was  October,  just  after  Sam  went  to  college,  when  I 
took  my  first  trip  through  this  section.  Those  very 
trees  over  yonder  were  in  a  blaze  of  glory.  I  loved 
them  at  first  sight.  There  were  hundreds  more  like 
them  scattered  over  the  farm  that  was  to  be.  I  suc- 
ceeded in  saving  less  than  half  of  my  chosen  friends ; 
but  they  have  been  a  comfort  to  me  these  five  years. 
The  first  year,  when  my  head  was  still  weary  from  tea 
close  attention  to  business,  those  dear  trees  whispered 
peace  and  rest  to  me.  I  have  never  been  reconciled  to 
the  warfare  against  the  trees  that  has  gone  on  around 
me  all  this  time." 

"  Yet  in  this  way  is  our  frontier  pushed  forward,  our 
great  industries  developed,  our  lands  cleared  for  culti- 
vation, and  countless  thousands  given  employment," 
urged  the  minister. 

"  True ;  I  know  it.  The  spirit  of  business  seems  to 
prevent  the  growth  of  sentiment.  The  forest  must 
be  overcome,  must  die  under  the  bite  of  the  axe  and 
the  gnawing  of  the  saw.  It  is  everywhere  a  death 
struggle  with  the  issue  never  in  doubt,  and  the  slaugh- 
ter becomes  more  wholesale  each  year.  Yet  I  know  of 
some  men  who,  like  myself,  destroy  trees  while  they 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  45 

love  them.  They  spare  when  it  is  not  necessary  to 
kill.  They  plant  other  trees.  Their  orchards  early 
cover  the  ground  laid  bare,  and  their  homes  are  sur- 
rounded by  trees  for  shade  and  beauty.  I  wish  there 
were  more  such  farmers  in  this  region.  Yet  I  shall 
cut  my  pine  in  due  time." 

Robert  Allen  did  not  challenge  further  discussion, 
and  they  returned  to  the  house.  After  a  few  moments 
he  asked,  reminded  by  Farmer  Hawkins's  casual  men- 
tion of  his  son : 

"  Where  is  Sam,  now  ?  I  have  seen  him  only  once 
or  twice  since  he  returned  from  college.  I  should  like 
to  know  him  better." 

A  weary  look  came  over  the  father's  face.  He  did 
not  reply  at  once,  but  his  friend  and  minister  read  the 
testimony  of  a  heart's  sorrow  in  lines  which  he  had  not 
observed  before. 

"I  wish  you  might,"  said  Josiah  presently.  "He 
needs  some  stronger  influence  than  mine  to  come  into 
his  life  His  college  experience  did  not  have  the  effect 
I  hoped  for." 

The  minister  waited  in  silence  for  him  to  continue. 

"  'A  foolish  son  is  a  grief  to  his  father  and  bitter- 
ness to  her  who  bare  him,'  "  muttered  Farmer  Hawkins, 
more  to  himself  than  to  Allen,  and  he  did  not  observe 
the  strong  emotion  which  overspread  the  minister's 
face. 

"There  was  another  such  boy  once,"  the  latter  whis- 
pered. 

After  a  moment  Josiah  Hawkins  raised  his  head  and 
looked  into  his  friend's  face  with  a  sudden  intensity  of 
appeal. 

"Robert,"  he  said,  "do  you  suppose  if  you  were  to 
make  a  special  case — if  you  would  take  it  as  a  particu- 


46  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

lar  burden  on  your  heart — the  Lord  might  let  you  be 
the  means " 

"  Josiaii,"  interrupted  the  minister,  "  I  was  once  hun- 
gry and  you  gave  me  meat,  naked  and  you  clothed  me. 
More  than  that,  I  was  fallen  and  you  lifted  me  up,  an 
outcast,  and  you  took  me  in.  Do  you  think  there  could 
be  any  joy  so  great  for  me  as  to  be  the  means  in  God's 
hands  for  returning  to  you  in  like  kind  the  bread  you 
cast  upon  the  waters  so  long  ago  ? " 

"  God  help  you,  Robert ! "  breathed  Josiah  Hawkins, 
grasping  the  backwoods  minister  by  both  hands, 

But  Sam  was  sowing  the  wind  and  was  destined  to  reap 
the  whirlwind  before  he  listened  to  the  still  small  voice. 

Dinner  was  eaten  in  unusual  quietness.  Sam  came 
in  after  the  meal  began,  replied  shortly  to  remarks  ad- 
dressed directly  to  him,  and  went  out  before  the  others 
finished.  Barney,  the  life  and  sparkle  of  every  family 
or  social  gathering,  had  not  yet  returned  from  his 
errands  with  Tom  Moore,  the  big  lumberman  and  vil- 
lage constable,  Barney's  particular  friend. 

"  Have  you  any  new  books  since  last  year,  Josiah  ? " 
asked  the  minister,  as  they  arose  from  the  table. 

"  A  few  choice  ones,"  leading  the  way  into  the  sit- 
ting-room and  unlocking  the  large  glass  doors  of  the 
bookcase.  "  These  friends  are  the  rivals  of  my  trees ; 
but  often  I  can  enjoy  communion  with  them  both  at 
the  same  time.  For  example,  I  never  enjoy  the  com- 
panionship of  this  author,"  caressing  a  volume  of 
Thoreau,  "  so  well  as  when  close  to  the  trees  that  he 
loved  as  I  do." 

"  I'll  spend  an  hour  or  so  with  these  friends  of  yours, 
while  you  are  making  ready  to  receive  our  other  friends, 
your  neighbors  "  said  Robert  Allen,  all  unconscious  of 
the  purpose  of  the  gathering  that  afternoon. 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  47 

M  Parson,  ahoy ! " 

The  stentorian  voice  of  Barney  O'Boyle  broke  in 
upon  the  quietness  of  the  ministex''s  reading  and  caused 
him  to  shut  his  book  in  a  hurry.  Going  out  to  the 
veranda,  he  found  five  or  six  buckboards,  farm  wagons, 
and  ox-teams  drawn  up  in  the  road  before  the  house, 
and  filled  with  a  shouting,  laughing  crowd.  There 
were  John  and  Mary  Maloney,  and  their  daughter 
Norine ;  big  Pete  Murray  and  his  wife  Kate,  with  two 
buxom  girls,  Katie  and  Sally;  Bob  Landseer,  with 
Hetty  his  wife — "humly  as  a  hedgehog,  but  ther  ain't 
a  bigger  heart  from  Maine  to  Calif orny,"  Bob  was  wont 
to  say  affectionately.  In  front  of  all  were  Tom  Moore 
and  Barney  O'Boyle,  like  great  rollicking  brothers. 

"  Bein*  as  we're  the  committee,  we  laid  out  to  git 
here  early,"  explained  Tom;  "and  how  be  ye,  Elder? 
Jumpin'  kangaroo!  yer  right  there,"  he  exclaimed, 
releasing  his  own  great  paw  from  the  parson's  iron 
grasp. 

"Committee?"  queried  Allen,  puzzled  "I'll  call 
Mr.  Hawkins." 

"Lave  Uncle  Si  wherever  he  is,"  said  Barney. 
"These  folks  are  after  comin'  to  see  yourself;  an* 
there'll  be  more  of  them  before  there's  less.  Sure,  it's 
your  turn,  intirely,  to-day.  Out  with  ye,  ladies  an' 
gintlemen,  an'  pay  your  respicts  to  the  best  friend  ye 
have  in  the  county." 

Down  came  the  mothers  and  daughters  from  their 
seats,  laden  with  bundles  of  all  sizes  and  shapes,  and 
all  began  to  talk  at  once. 

"  We  made  this  at  the  quiltin'  bee  last  winter,  and  it 
has  nigh  twelve  hundred  pieces  in  it,  and  soft  wool 
linin',"  said  Hetty  Landseer,  giving  the  minister  a 
huge  parcel  from  which  at  the  same  time  she  deftly 


48  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

stripped  the  covering.  A  gorgeous  quilt  of  many 
colors  was  revealed. 

**  I  never  had  sech  good  luck  dry  in'  apples,"  broke  in 
Kate  Murray,  putting  down  by  the  parson  a  big  calico 
bag  crammed  full  of  the  dried  fruit.  "  Them's  from 
the  South  orchard,  and  I  find  them  the  best  flavor," 
she  explained. 

"  Pumpkins,"  said  Sally  briefly,  as  she  and  Katie,  who 
had  lugged  a  heavy  basket  between  them  from  the 
wagon,  set  their  load  down  in  front  of  the  bewildered 
minister. 

"Dried,  of  course,"  added  Katie,  "but  prime  for  pies 
and  sech." 

"  Here's  six  pairs  of  woollen  socks  and  some  warm 
mits  for  driving,  that  mamma  and  I  made  off  and  on 
through  the  winter.  I  guess  they'll  fit  you  all  right," 
said  Norine  Maloney,  putting  the  parcel  in  the  minis- 
ter's hands. 

"  When  you  women  stop  to  catch  your  breath  a  min- 
ute, we'll  speak  our  little  piece,"  called  out  Bob  Land- 
seer.  "  They's  a  load  o'  spalts  out  here  for  ye,  parson." 

"  An'  stave-bolts,"  cried  Pete  Murray. 

"An'  heading-bolts.'*  added  Tom  Moore 

"  Sure,  this  ain't  much  account ;  put  it  in  your  pocket 
an'  say  no  more  about  it,"  said  Barney,  handing  the 
parson  a  folded  paper. 

"  You  might  let  this  go  with  it,"  said  John  Maloney, 
thrusting  another  slip  into  the  preacher's  hands. 

Robert  looked  vaguely  at  the  papers  and  saw  that 
they  were  due-bills  on  the  general  store  in  Red-Keg. 
All  this  time  he  had  been  standing  in  one  place  fairly 
overcome  with  astonishment  and  emotion.  The  rapid 
fire  of  gifts  and  talk  had  left  him  no  chance  to  ask 
questions  or  speak  his  thanks. 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  49 

"  Well,  Robert,  what's  the  matter  ?  You  look  mixed," 
exclaimed  Fanner  Hawkins,  coming  from  the  doorway, 
where,  with  Mother  Hawkins,  he  had  been  watching 
the  scene. 

"  And  no  wonder,"  said  Allen,  regaining  his  voice. 
"What  is  all  this  about,  and  why  are  these  things 
here  ? " 

"  You've  been  giving  to  us  freely  the  best  you  have 
for  years.  Now  your  friends  want  to  give  you  some- 
thing," answered  Hawkins. 

"  Here's  Jake  Vogel  an'  Grat ! "  cried  Barney.  "  You 
ain't  seen  Grat  since  last  year,  Parson.  He's  lavin' 
his  dad  behind  for  a  tall  bye.  He's  for  the  woods  next 
fall,  so  he  says." 

Lettie  Green  with  her  Aunt  Lydia,  and  Dan  Under- 
hill,  Arch  Fellows,  Joe  Reon,  and  Ned  Blakely,  with 
their  wives,  drove  up.  New  arrivals  began  coming  in 
a  steady  stream,  each  with  a  donation  of  some  kind. 
Money  was  very  scarce  Trading  was  done  with  due- 
bills  and  orders — often  called  "  white  horses  " — or  with 
supplies,  or  any  articles  of  market  value.  Therefore 
the  great  store  of  mink,  coon,  bear,  wolf,  wildcat,  otter, 
beaver  skins,  dried  apples,  dried  sweet  corn,  dried 
pumpkins,  spalts,  stave-bolts,  heading-bolts,  snow-shoes, 
woollen  socks  and  mitts,  blankets,  f.shing-tackle,  school, 
drain,  township,  and  state  orders,  pension  vouchers, 
due-bills  for  shoes,  groceries,  and  dry-goods,  hand-made 
quilts,  pots  of  preserves,  etc.,  with  which  the  minister 
found  himself  surrounded,  all  represented  so  much  cash 
value,  and  could  be  sold  or  traded  off  to  suit  his  own 
needs. 

"  A  Donnybrook  Fair,  so  it  is ! "  cried  Pete  Murray, 
delightedly,  as  he  examined  the  wonderful  display  of 
gifts. 

4 


50  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

"But  where's  Ros  Whitmore? "  asked  Farmer  Haw. 
kins  suddenly. 

"Drove  to  Midland  this  mornin',"  answered  Bob 
Landseer,  "  to  make  a  little  trade  an'  bring  back  two 
storekeepers  to  bid  against  this  Red-Keg  scalper  for 
the  Elder's  extry  stock,"  and  he  gave  Jake  Vogel,  the 
genial  storekeeper  of  Red-Keg,  who  had  brought  as 
generous  a  donation  as  any  one,  a  resounding  whack 
across  his  shoulder. 

"Good  fer  Ros,"  laughed  Vogel.  "But  I  reckon 
them  Midland  fellers  won't  get  much,  'less  it's  suthin' 
I  don't  want.  The  on'y  man  I'd  be  afraid  'ould  bid 
too  high  is  old  Bloag.  He  ain't  comin',  I  hope  ? "  and 
Vogel  put  on  a  look  of  great  alarm. 

"  Did  ye  ever  hear  tell  how  he  found  only  twenty- 
three  eggs  one  mornin'  in  the  nests,  an'  driv'  to  the 
store  with  the  old  hen  in  a  box  an'  kep'  her  there  to 
make  up  the  two  dozen?  An'  begorry,  she  did  it," 
said  Pete  Murray,  as  soon  as  he  could  be  heard  amid 
the  laughter  that  followed  Vogel's  question. 

"  Thet  ain't  so  bad  as  the  time  he  took  the  school- 
master hum  from  church  an'  kep'  him  talkin'  in  the 
settin'-room  all  afternoon  'thout  a  bite  to  eat,  while 
one  after  'nother  o'  the  fam'ly,  includin'  the  old  deacon 
himself,  sneaked  out  o'  the  room  to  git  their  dinner," 
related  Bob  Landseer. 

"To  hear  him  prayin'  in  meetin',  *O  Lord,  Thou 
knowest  we  are  as  prone  to  wander  an'  go  astray  as  the 
sparks  are  to  fly  upward,'  ye'd  think  the  old  skinflint 
hed  a  realizin'  sense  of  his  wickedness ;  but  I  hev  my 
doubts  on  thet  pint,"  said  Dan  Underbill. 

"  Sure,  he  preys  durin'  the  week  as  hard  as  he  prays 
on  Sunday,  but  it  ain't  the  same  kind,"  remarked  Pete 
Murray. 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  51 

"  Here  comes  Ros  up  the  road,  now,"  said  Farmer 
Hawkins,  "  and  there  are  three  men  with  him." 

"  An'  one  o'  them  is  the  new  schoolmaster ! "  shouted 
Barney.  "  It's  a  fine  boy  he  is." 

The  coming  of  the  schoolmaster  was  greeted  by  all 
with  pleasure.  He  had  shown  good  mettle,  and  his 
neighbors  were  anxious  to  know  him  better. 

"  Sorry  Jule  couldn't  come,"  said  Ros.  "  She's  tied 
up  with  a  sick  baby ;  but  she  would  have  it  I  must  take 
that  shoat  of  ourn  to  town  an'  git  the  most  I  could  for 
it.  We  thought  ye  could  take  care  of  this  bit  of  paper 
better  than  to  have  the  pesky  young  critter  runnin' 
'round." 

As  he  handed  the  due-bill  to  the  embarrassed  minis- 
ter, Mother  Hawkins  whispered  to  Josiah:  "There's 
real  sacrifice.  I  know  they  were  laying  store  on  that 
shoat."  She  thought  a  moment,  then  she  added  anx- 
iously :  "  Are  you  sure  Ros  will  come  out  well  with  that 
new  lot  of  ours,  Josiah  ? " 

He  smiled  and  whispered :  "  He'll  clear  fifty  dollars 
easily." 

The  conversation  went  on  merrily  in  parlor,  on  ve- 
randa, and  on  the  greensward  in  front  of  the  house. 
The  minister  went  from  group  to  group  with  words  of 
thanks  and  friendly  inquiry.  Among  the  sturdy  farm- 
ers and  lumbermen,  he  presented  no  mean  figure. 
Somewhat  under  the  average  height,  his  shoulders  were 
broad  and  square,  his  head  erect,  and  his  eyes  clear 
and  keen  but  full  of  a  deep  tenderness  and  sympathy 
that  went  straight  to  the  heart.  Long  ago  he  had  been 
through  college,  but  none  of  his  backwoods  flock  knew 
of  it,  and  few  knew  or  remembered  what  he  had  been 
before  he  came  among  them  uninvited,  unassuming, 
simple,  direct,  and  loving  in  his  practical  ministry,  with- 


52  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

out  salary  or  home  that  he  could  call  his  own.  At  rare 
intervals  they  had  seen  the  flash  of  a  fire  within,  which 
let  them  know  that  he  could  make  the  wildest  of  them 
tremble  if  he  chose ;  and  his  self -repression  placed  no 
discount  on  his  influence  with  men  unaccustomed  to 
control  themselves. 

At  an  early  hour  Mother  Hawkins  announced  that 
she  had  brewed  a  cup  of  tea,  and  led  the  way  into  the 
big  ell  of  the  house  where  prayer-meetings  and  some- 
times preaching  services  were  held  when  the  minister 
was  there,  and  above  which  Robert  Allen  had  his  own 
rooms.  Two  long,  broad  tables  were  spread  with  pies, 
cakes,  baked  beans,  and  other  light  refreshments.  The 
tea  was  brought  in  by  a  bevy  of  girls  who  volunteered 
for  the  task,  and  the  assembled  Red-Keggers  prepared 
to  demonstrate  that  their  appetites  were  ready  on  the 
instant  at  the  call  of  duty. 

Just  then  several  new  arrivals  made  their  appearance. 
Seward  Rathaway  and  Sam  Hawkins  came  in,  Sam 
taking  a  seat  at  once  near  Lettie  G  reen,  and  Seward 
entering  into  conversation  with  the  nearest  group  in 
such  a  matter-of-fact  manner  that  their  entrance  was 
scarcely  noted.  The  couple  who  followed  them  created 
a  sensation. 

"Axcy  Marthy!  Good  for  you!  How  are  you? 
Set  right  down  an'  have  some  tea,"  greeted  her  from  a 
dozen  or  more  of  her  friends.  Her  companion  was 
welcomed  with  brief  nods  and  a  few  exclamations  of 
"  How  d'y,  Jim ! "  but  the  looks  of  astonishment  and 
the  whispers  that  ran  around  the  tables  spoke  more 
eloquently.  Axcy  was  fully  conscious  of  the  sensation 
she  had  made,  and  she  enjoyed  it.  More  than  that, 
she  was  a  little  proud  of  the  power  she  had  over  the 
lawless  young  giant  whom  so  many  others  feared. 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  53 

"  How  ever  did  you  get  him  here  ? "  whispered  Lettie 
Green  as  soon  as  she  could  get  near  enough  to  Axcy. 

"  Told  him  if  he  wouldn't  take  me  I'd  ask  Ashbel 
Fair,"  replied  the  roguish  girl,  with  a  chuckle.  "I 
guess  he  didn't  imagine  Mr.  Waters  would  be  here, 
though,"  she  added,  with  just  a  shade  of  apprehen- 
sion, as  she  glanced  from  the  schoolmaster  to  the 
corner  where  her  escort  had  seated  himself  and  was 
glaring  from  one  to  another  with  a  hunted  look  in  his 
eyes. 

The  schoolmaster  had  spoken  to  him  with  a  friendly 
"  How  are  you,  Jim  ? "  but  he  had  pretended  not  to 
hear  or  to  see  him,  and  passed  to  the  opposite  end  of 
the  room, 

Mother  Hawkins  bustled  in  with  a  tray  of  teacups. 

"  I  am  going  to  wait  on  you  people  who  came  so  far 
myself,"  she  said,  going  straight  to  Jim  Gyde  first.  "  I 
made  this  myself.  You  never  tasted  my  tea  before ; 
won't  you  have  some  ? "  and  she  thrust  the  cup  into 
Jim's  unwilling  hand.  "  Axcy,  this  is  for  you.  Now 
I  guess  you  all  are  served.  No,  you  haven't  any,  Mr. 
Waters.  Do  try  a  cup." 

As  the  schoolmaster  turned  in  his  seat  to  take  the 
teacup,  Mother  Hawkins  noticed  for  the  first  time  his 
bandaged  wrist. 

"Sprain?"  she  asked.  "I  have  some  splendid  lini- 
ment if  you  would  care  to  try  it." 

"  No,  it  is  not  a  sprain,"  answered  Waters,  looking 
directly  at  Mother  Hawkins,  but  in  a  tone  much  louder 
than  was  necessary  to  reach  her  ears.  "  I  got  a  rather 
bad  bruise  the  other  night,  but  it  will  be  all  right  in 
time." 

"  Well,  don't  catch  cold  in  it.  Fortunate  it's  the  left 
one,  isn't  it?  Another  cup  of  tea,  Mr.  Landseer? 


54  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

Why,  certainly ! "  and  the  good,  motherly  woman  hur- 
ried  away  to  the  kitchen. 

Presently  Mr.  Waters  rose,  and,  passing  from  one 
to  another  of  his  acquaintances  with  a  word  or  a  nod, 
gradually  made  his  way,  without  attracting  attention, 
to  the  corner  where  Jim  Gyde  sat,  as  nearly  alone  as 
he  had  been  able  to  contrive. 

"  Glad  to  see  you  here,  Jim,"  he  said.  "  We  are  all 
glad  of  a  chance  to  show  our  good  will  to  Mr.  Allen." 

Jim  Gyde  did  not  speak,  but  his  eyes  shifted  here 
and  there  as  if  looking  for  an  avenue  of  escape. 

Waters  looked  quickly  around  to  make  sure  that  no 
one  was  listening.  Then  he  said  in  a  low  tone : 

"  Sorry  I  had  to  kill  Moscow  the  other  night.  There 
was  no  choice ;  if  I  hadn't,  he  would  have  killed  me." 

"  Good  riddance ! "  muttered  Jim  under  his  breath. 
The  schoolmaster's  ears  were  sharp. 

"  Perhaps,"  he  said  quietly,  with  intentional  misin- 
terpretation. "He  was  a  dangerous  brute  to  be  at 
large." 

The  young  man  glared,  but  made  no  reply. 

"  Jim,"  said  Waters,  after  a  moment's  silence,  "  men 
often  do  not  know  their  own  possibilities.  A  lot  of 
good  raw  material  goes  to  waste  because  a  good  many 
men  do  not  discover  the  gold  in  themselves,  and  even 
imagine  it  does  not  exist.  Now,  I  am  going  to  tell  you, 
as  a  friend  should,  that  I  believe  you  have  a  rich  vein 
of  gold  in  your  make-up.  If  you  will  set  about  to  dis- 
cover it,  you  may  make  yourself  rich,  and  others,  too." 

Jim  Gyde  stared  at  the  schoolmaster  in  sullen  aston- 
ishment, wondering  vaguely  if  he  had  gone  mad  from 
the  bite  of  the  dog. 

"I  don't  know  what  ye  mean,"  he  said  it  last. 

"  Think  it  over.    It  will  come  to  you.    If  not,  let  me 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  55 

know,  and  I  will  explain.  But  Jim,  I  expect  one  day 
to  see  you  a  leader  of  the  men  in  these  parts — a  leader 
in  nobility  of  character,  as  you  now  are  a  leader  in 
physical  daring  and  bravery.  The  pure  gold  is  in  you ; 
I  am  sure  of  It.  And  remember,  Jim,  I  am  your  friend, 
and  shall  be  glad  to  give  you  a  brother's  help  whenever 
you  will  accept  it.  Here's  my  hand  on  it." 
f>  But  Jim  Gyde  was  too  bewildered  to  respond,  either 
by  hand  or  by  tongue,  and  with  a  commonplace  re- 
mark, in  a  louder  tone,  calculated  to  put  the  young 
man  more  at  his  ease,  Waters  left  him  to  himself. 

A  group  of  young  people  had  inveigled  Pete  Murray 
into  telling  stories.  Suddenly  a  burst  of  laughter  tes- 
tified to  one  of  his  hits. 

"  Oh,  we  can't  hear,"  called  Axcy  at  the  opposite 
end  of  the  table.  "  Please  speak  louder,  Mr.  Murray." 

"  Sure,  with  pleasure.    What  was  it  ye  missed  ? " 

"  Silly !     How  can  I  tell,  when  I  didn't  hear  it  ? " 

"  Well,  can  ye  tell  this :  What  is  it  that  falls  without 
breakin'  an'  breaks  without  fallin'  ? " 

"  Ain't  you  the  tease,  Pete  Murray !  You  know  I 
can't  guess  conundrums,"  laughed  Axcy. 

"  Give  it  up  ? " 

"  Yes,  without  trying." 

"  Sure,  night  falls  without  breakin',  an'  day  breaks 
without  fallin'.  Thought  everybody  knew  that,"  said 
Pete  Murray,  mockingly. 

A  sudden  stillness  spread  over  the  room,  as  the  mer- 
rymakers became  aware  of  angry  voices  near  the  door. 

"Certainly,  I'll  repeat  it,  if  you  didn't  understand. 
I  object  to  being  dictated  to  in  my  own  house  by  an 
ignorant  hired  laborer.  If  that  isn't  plain  enough,  I 
might  add  that  your  vulgar  efforts  to  pose  as  one  of 
the  family  don't  go  down  with  me.  I'll  thank  you  to 


56  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

go  back  to  the  cow-yard  where  you  belong,  and  stay 
there." 

Barney  O'Boyle  stood  erect,  and  stared  at  Sam  Haw- 
kins  as  though  still  failing  to  grasp  the  meaning  of  his 
insulting  words. 

"  You're  after  losin'  your  wits,  man,  I'm  thinkin '," 
he  said  slowly. 

"  I'm  in  more  danger  of  losing  my  birthright,  if  your 
little  scheme  works,"  snarled  Sam. 

"  What  do  ye  mane  ? "  demanded  Barney,  pale  and 
quivering. 

"  Mean  ?  Why,  I've  come  to  the  conclusion  that  you 
are  trying  to  wheedle  my  father  into  leaving  you  his 
property,  and  that's  why " 

Barney  sprang  at  him  in  a  whirlwind  of  rage. 

"  Ye  lie,  ye  whelp !  an'  I'll  soon " 

"  Barney,  lad,  sit  down  here ;  I  want  to  talk  with 
you." 

A  grip  like  steel  drew  him  away  from  Sam,  and, 
turning,  he  found  himself  looking  into  the  deep,  quiet 
eyes  of  the  minister.  Under  that  steady  gaze,  the  fire 
in  his  heart  died  slowly  away,  and  without  a  word  he 
sank  into  the  seat  beside  Robert  Allen. 

Farmer  Hawkins  led  his  son  into  another  room. 

"  Sam,"  he  said,  and  his  voice  trembled,  "  such  con- 
duct disgraces  you,  and  it  shames  your  father  and 
mother  before  their  guests."  The  bitterness  which  he 
strove  to  repress  began  to  sound  in  his  tone,  and  he 
stopped  abruptly. 

"  Why  do  you  persist  in  making  an  enemy  of  Barney, 
when  he  would  gladly  be  your  friend  ? "  he  continued, 
presently.  "  He  has  never  harmed  you,  and  I  am  sure 
he  never  will  if  he  can  help  it." 

" I  can't  bear  the  lout,"  growled  Sam. 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  57 

44  He  hasn't  had  your  education,  Sam ;  but  that  is  not 
his  fault.  He  has  as  true  a  heart  as  ever  beat,  and 
there  is  not  a  man  or  woman  who  knows  him  who  is 
not  proud  to  have  his  friendship." 

"  He  puts  on  altogether  too  much  importance  for  a 
hired  man  to  suit  me.  Why  can't  he  stay  where  he 
belongs,  and  not  interfere  with  his  betters  ? "  said  Sam 
crossly. 

"  His  betters  ? "  asked  Farmer  Hawkins.  "  Who  are 
they  ?  So  far  as  I  am  concerned,  and  I  think  I  speak 
for  my  neighbors  in  there  as  well,  Barney  is  our  social 
equal.  He  came  here  as  the  friend  and  companion  of 
John  Maloney  years  ago,  and  he  consented  to  help  me 
with  the  farm  only  because  Maloney  urged  him  to  do 
so  out  of  friendship  to  me.  He  might  now  be  in  busi- 
ness for  himself  if  he  wished.  Some  day  he  will,  doubt- 
less, and  then  I  shall  lose  him." 

44  Not  till  he  gets  all  he  can  out  of  you,  I'll  bet," 
sneered  Sam. 

"  That  is  nonsense.  Barney  has  given  more  than  he 
has  received.  I  am  surprised  you  should  allow  your- 
self such  silly  suspicions,"  said  his  father,  with  another 
involuntary  touch  of  irritation. 

Sam  walked  to  the  window,  thrust  his  hands  into  his 
pockets,  and  scowled  out  at  the  setting  sun. 

"  It  was  stupid,  I  suppose,  to  make  such  a  scene  in 
there  before  everybody,"  he  said  after  a  while. 

"  You  are  not  going  to  leave  them  to  think  so  ill  of 
you  ?  "  asked  his  father. 

Another  pause  followed,  while  Sam  watched  the 
changing  colors  in  the  sky  with  unseeing  eyes.  Then, 
with  a  muttered  imprecation,  he  turned  and  went  to 
the  door  of  the  room  where  the  friends  and  neigh 
bors  of  his  father  and  the  minister  were  gathered 


58  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

and  looking  about  until  his  eyes  rested  upon  Barney, 
he  said : 

"  Barney  O'Boyle,  I  take  back  the  stupid  things  I 
said  a  while  ago.  It  was  vulgar  to  make  a  scene  here, 
don't  you  know.  But  more  than  that  I'll  not  say." 

He  walked  away  without  waiting  for  a  reply,  but  the 
dark  look  had  not  left  his  face. 

Not  until  the  auction  sale  was  fairly  under  way  did 
the  assembled  Red-Keggers  regain  their  jovial  spirit. 
The  bidding  was  lively,  Tom  Moore,  as  auctioneer, 
spurring  all  hands  on  to  do  their  best.  The  three  store- 
keepers were  required  to  pay  in  cash  for  all  they  bought. 
Some  of  the  articles  even  brought  fancy  prices,  the 
purchasers  having  a  mind  to  boast  of  owning  something 
that  had  "  belonged  to  Parson  Allen."  Counting  the 
due-bills,  orders,  etc.,  a  total  of  over  seven  hundred 
dollars  was  realized.  Some  things  selected  by  the  pas- 
tor for  his  own  use  were  not  sold.  Among  these  arti- 
cles were  a  rifle  and  an  outfit  of  fishing-tackle,  things 
which  the  busy  and  serious-minded  minister  had  never 
heretofore  found  time  to  use. 


CHAPTER  V. 

LETTIE  GREEN  walked  up  the  road  from  her  home 
in  company  with  Sam,  early  the  following  morning.  A 
red  spot  glowed  on  each  cheek,  and  a  frightened,  ap- 
pealing look  was  in  her  eyes. 

"  What  shall  I  do,  Sam  ? "  she  moaned.  "  I  never 
thought  you  could  be  so  cruel ;  oh,  what  shall  I  do  ? " 

"  Now,  please,  Lettie,  don't  be  so  upset  over  a  thing 
of  no  importance  at  all.  It  will  be  all  right  one  of 
these  days.  I  only  meant  it  in  fun." 

"  Oh,  Sam !  how  can  you  say  that  ? " 

"  But  it's  so.  I  tell  you,  you  are  making  it  altogether 
too  serious.  It  will  be  for  a  short  time  at  most,  don't 
you  know.  Can't  you  take  my  word  for  it  that  I  will 
make  it  all  right  as  soon  as  I  can  possibly  see  my  way 
clear?" 

"I  don't  know,  Sam;  I'm  afraid.  You  have  been 
so  different  the  last  few  days." 

"Nonsense,  Lettie;  you  only  imagine  it.  Several 
things  have  happened  lately  to  bother  me,  don't  you 
know,  and  some  matters  of  business.  I  really  couldn't 
help  it  last  Thursday,  as  I  told  you.  I  was  disappointed, 
as  well  as  you." 

"  But  you  acted  so  strangely  yesterday." 

"  Oh,  I  say,  can't  you  forget  that,  Lettie  ?  Barney 
riled  me  beyond  endurance  with  his  airs  and  his  impu- 
dence in  telling  me  what  to  do  and  what  not  to  do.  Be- 
sides I  apologized.  What  more  could  you  want  ? " 

59 


60  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

u  I  didn't  mean  that,  Sam.  I  meant  that  you  acted 
as  if — as  if  you " 

"As  if  what?'k 

"  As  if  you  didn't — care  for  me." 

"  Now  that's  simply  your  imagination  again,  Lettie. 
Of  course  I  care  for  you.  I'll  show  you,  when  I  can 
get  money  enough  of  my  own  to  live  decently.  Why, 
I  didn't  want  to  come  in  at  all  yesterday,  in  spite  of 
Seward's  insisting;  but  I  knew  you  would  be  there." 

"  Couldn't  you  live  well  enough  with  your  father  and 
help  make  the  farm  pay,  Sam  ? " 

"  Surely,  Lettie,  you  don't  want  to  live  on  a  farm  in 
the  backwoods  all  your  life,  do  you  ?  The  city  is  ever 
so  much  better  for  a  girl  of  your  beauty  and  intelli- 
gence." 

"  I  don't  know,  Sam.  I  think  I  would  be  contented 
here — with  you." 

**  Well,  I'm  sure  I  wouldn't.  I  should  want  my  wife 
to  move  in  better  circles  than  among  these  ignorant 
country  louts.  Just  wait  a  while,  and  when  my  plans 
succeed  you  shall  have  a  taste  of  real  life  in  the  city — 
perhaps  New  York.  Think  of  it!  Apartments  in  a 
fine  house,  a  servant  to  do  the  work,  stylish  clothes, 
the  theatres,  balls,  society — why,  it's  the  only  way  to 
live  That's  the  kind  of  life  I  was  cut  out  for,  -and  you 
were,  too,  don't  you  know ;  and  that's  the  life  we  shall 
have  some  day,  Lettie." 

The  girl's  face  cleared  and  her  eyes  sparkled  as  Sam 
drew  the  glowing  picture.  As  he  finished  she  said, 
doubtfully: 

'*  Are  you  sure,  Sam  ? " 

"  Of  course  I  am  sure.  Now  I  have  an  appointment 
with  Seward  and  must  hurry  on.  Remember,  and  be 
patient." 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  61 

"  111  try,"  said  Lettie;  but  Sam  never  noticed,  as  she 
turned  to  retrace  her  steps,  that  the  sparkle  had  gone 
from  her  eyes  and  left  the  wistful  expression  and  a 
half-suppressed  fear  in  its  place 

"Thank  goodness  that's  over  with ! "  muttered  Sam, 
with  a  breath  of  relief. 

His  appointment  with  Seward  had  been  offered  on 
the  spur  of  the  moment  to  cut  short  an  embarrassing 
conversation ;  but  he  stopped  at  Seward's  house  on  the 
way  home,  as  a  matter  of  habit,  only  to  find  that  he 
had  gone  to  the  village.  But  Sam  was  not  sorry,  in 
the  circumstances,  to  miss  spending  the  afternoon  with 
Lettie's  cousin  He  preferred  the  comfortable  feeling 
of  self -congratulation  with  which  he  regarded  his  inter- 
view with  Lettie  rather  than  the  shame  of  which  he 
was  even  now  dimly  conscious,  and  which  Seward's 
company  might  tend  to  keep  alive.  Left  to  himself 
and  the  free  exercise  of  his  own  sophistry,  which  lulled 
his  conscience  without  really  deceiving  him,  his  com- 
plaisance and  consequent  good  nature  increased,  and 
when,  after  dinner,  Robert  Allen,  taking  advantage  of 
his  approachable  mood,  asked  him  to  try  his  new  rifle, 
and  then  challenged  him  to  a  day's  hunting  bout  in  the 
woods,  Sam  agreed  almost  before  he  knew  what  he  was 
doing.  Second  thought  made  him  regret  his  promise, 
and  he  tried  to  postpone  the  trip  indefinitely  on  the 
ground  of  a  previous  engagement  with  Seward.  The 
minister  would  not  listen  to  it,  and  offered  to  call  on 
Seward  at  once  and  get  his  consent  to  the  alteration  of 
his  plans.  Then  he  began  to  discuss  the  trip  and  the 
subject  of  hunting  with  such  a  lively  interest  and  evi- 
dent appreciation  that  Sam  found  it  impossible  not 
to  warm  up  to  him.  He  was  surprised  at  the  hearty, 
jovial,  unassuming  manner,  the  easy  carriage,  and  the 


62  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

enthusiasm  which  animated  the  man  whom  he  had  re- 
garded as  wholly  given  up  to  serious  things,  and  an 
enemy  of  all  sport  and  all  sportsmen.  He  felt  himself 
yielding  to  the  genial  influence,  and  actually  started 
out  in  the  morning  with  more  real  pleasure  than  he  had 
believed  could  be  possible. 

The  section  of  woods  agreed  upon  was  along  the 
Sturgeon  Creek,  to  the  eastward  of  the  Hawkins  farm. 
Sam  had  no  mind  to  take  the  minister  anywhere  in  the 
vicinity  of  Mystic  Isle,  which  lay  in  the  heart  of  the 
forest  and  swamp  to  the  northwest.  He  was  less  fa- 
miliar with  the  Sturgeon  district,  but  preferred  a  tramp 
through  this  comparatively  unknown  region  to  the  em- 
barrassment which  an  effort  to  avoid  the  neighbourhood 
of  his  hidden  island  might  involve. 

Just  before  sunrise  they  were  'on  the  road.  The 
clear,  fragrant  air  and  the  rosy  glow  in  the  east  prom- 
ised a  beautiful  day,  the  last  of  April.  The  roads,  still 
soft  from  the  spring  rains,  were  dry  enough  for  com- 
fortable walking,  even  if  the  heavy  boots  of  the  men 
had  not  made  them  indifferent  to  such  conditions  as 
mud  and  water. 

"  We'll  keep  up  the  road  half  a  mile  or  so  and  then 
turn  to  the  right  into  the  woods  till  we  pass  through 
our  section  of  pine  and  the  huckleberry  swamp  be- 
yond," said  Sam.  "  There  we'll  take  a  short  cut  to  the 
Sturgeon  by  the  new  trail  blazed  last  winter.  We  can 
save  at  least  three  miles  to  the  bend  of  the  river,  and 
perhaps  stir  up  something  on  the  way." 

"  Isn't  that  near  where  Rousheau  lives  ? "  asked  Allen. 

"Who?"  queried  Sam. 

"  Jacques  Rousheau,  an  old  lumberman ;  must  be  a 
French-Canadian,"  replied  Allen. 

"  Oh,  I  guess  you  mean  Old  Leatherback.    Yes,  he 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  63 

lives  in  the  bend  almost  surrounded  by  the  river.  I 
don't  know  as  I  ever  heard  his  name;  never  cared 
enough  to  ask.  He's  nothing  but  a  rough,  ignorant 
lout,  such  as  one  sees  so  many  of  out  here,  don't  you 
know." 

The  infelicity  of  this  remark  to  the  minister  struck 
Sam  as  soon  as  he  had  uttered  it,  and  he  looked  around 
quickly  to  see  if  Allen  resented  it ;  but  nothing  of  the 
kind  was  apparent  in  his  face.  On  the  contrary,  his 
reply  seemed  to  indicate  that  he  heartily  agreed  with 
the  sentiment. 

"They  are  rather  deficient  in  culture/'  he  said, 
"  and  they  have  never  had  the  advantage  of  much  book- 
learning.  What  they  do  know  has  come  to  them  in 
other  ways,  more  direct  perhaps.  But  did  you  ever 
notice,  Sam,  that  these  people,  even  the  most  ignorant 
of  them,  really  have  a  great  respect  and  admiration  for 
book  knowledge,  and  are  quick  to  recognize  the  supe- 
rior position  it  gives  those  who  have  it  ? " 

44  Can't  say  that  I  ever  did,"  replied  Sam.  "  In  fact, 
it  always  struck  me  just  the  other  way,  don't  you 
know." 

"  Well,  it's  true,  and  the  curious  thing  about  it  is 
that  the  ones  who  sometimes  appear  the  most  indiffer- 
ent, or  who  actually  scoff  at  knowledge  acquired  in 
schools  and  colleges,  are  often  the  very  ones  who  have 
the  most  real  regard  for  it.  Their  scorn  is  a  mask  to 
hide  their  own  sense  of  lack.  Deep  down  in  their 
hearts  they  feel  it  and  wish  they  had  had  more  'school- 
in  '  in  their  younger  days.  I've  heard  more  than  one 
of  them  say  as  much." 

44 1  don't  see  what  good  it  would  do  them  if  they  had 
it,"  argued  Sam ;  "  they  couldn't  use  it  cutting  logs  and 
digging  fields." 


64  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

"Oh,  yes,  they  could,"  protested  Allen.  "Even  a 
lumberman  or  a  farmer  is  worth  more  if  he  can  add  the 
knowledge  acquired  from  books  to  that  acquired  from 
his  own  experience.  He  can  always  fill  a  better  posi- 
tion, and  his  influence  is  greater  if  he  has  the  sense  and 
ambition  to  make  use  of  the  knowledge  he  has  acquired." 

Sam  wondered  if  the  last  remark  was  aimed  at  him. 
He  had  the  uncomfortable  feeling  of  being  hit,  and  cast 
about  for  a  different  topic  of  conversation,  but  Allen 
showed  no  desire  to  relinquish  the  subject. 

"  Not  only  that,"  he  continued,  "  but  these  people  are 
always  willing  to  follow  such  a  man  if  they  can  respect 
his  manliness  as  well  as  his  education.  There's  a  man 
down  near  Midland  who  has  more  money  than  any  three 
•of  his  neighbours  put  together,  but  you  would  never 
know  it  by  his  appearance  or  behaviour.  He  never 
seems  to  spend  any  of  his  money  if  he  can  help  it,  either 
for  his  own  good  or  any  one  else's.  Those  who  don't 
know  him  would  imagine  him  to  be  as  poor  as  Job's 
turkey." 

"I  suppose  you  mean  old  Bloag.  He's  a  fool, — 
stingy  as  he  is  rich,"  said  Sam,  not  understanding  at 
once  the  turn  in  Allen's  remarks,  but  glad  to  have  them 
directed  at  any  one  except  himself. 

"  Just  so,"  went  on  the  minister;  "it's  natural  to  feel 
that  way  about  any  man  who  has  something  valuable 
but  refuses  to  use  it  for  himself  or  others.  It  doesn't 
make  much  difference  whether  that  something  is  money 
or  a  college  education." 

"  Here's  where  we  strike  into  the  woods,"  exclaimed 
Sam,  hastily  turning  to  the  right  from  the  road  at  a 
point  where  an  old  and  partly  overgrown  lumber  path 
pierced  the  forest.  The  rising  sun  was  beginning  to 
send  horizontal  rays  across  the  tops  of  the  trees,  but 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  65 

barely  enough  light  filtered  through  to  the  path  to  en- 
able the  two  men  to  pick  their  way.  For  some  time 
they  went  on  in  silence,  too  much  occupied  in  following 
the  path  to  give  attention  to  conversation.  Sam  wel- 
comed the  interruption.  Until  he  could  get  the  minis- 
ter's mind  filled  with  the  sport  on  which  they  were 
bent,  he  preferred  to  hear  from  him  as  little  as  possi- 
ble. His  own  ideas  did  not  come  very  freely,  and  it 
seemed  that  the  more  he  tried  to  think  of  something 
to  say  which  would  not  suggest  any  moral  application, 
the  more  difficult  it  became  to  speak  at  all.  Yet  he 
was  by  no  means  sure  that  the  minister  had  intended 
anything  personal.  Probably  he  was  too  ready  to  put 
on  a  coat  which  seemed  just  about  his  size.  After  a 
while  he  remarked : 

"  This  isn't  much  of  a  thoroughfare,  but  it's  better 
than  we'll  get  in  the  new  trail  over  by  the  Sturgeon." 

"  Oh,  this  is  not  so  bad,"  replied  Allen.  "  I  suppose 
there  will  be  no  path  at  all  through  the  Sturgeon 
woods." 

"  Not  where  we  go— only  a  blazed  trail ;  but  we'll 
have  more  light  then." 

"This  path  leads  through  your  father's  pine,  I  be- 
lieve you  said,"  remarked  Allen. 

"  Yes,  we  shall  come  to  it  in  about  half  an  hour,  and 
beyond  that  is  the  huckleberry  swamp." 

"  Your  father  said  the  other  day  that  he  might  cut 
his  pine  next  fall  for  shingles.  What  a  splendid  chance 
that  will  give  you  to  learn  the  lumber  business  and  get 
acquainted  with  the  men." 

"  Humph !  that  would  be  delightful,  no  doubt,  but  I 
haven't  any  special  hankering  to  be  a  lumber  jack  my- 
self or  to  mix  in  with  them,  either,  so  the  splendid 
chance  hardly  appeals  to  me,  don't  you  know." 


66  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

Sam  had  allowed  more  of  a  sneer  to  creep  into  his 
voice  than  he  realized,  but  the  minister  took  no  notice 
of  it  and  continued  in  the  same  hearty  manner : 

"  You  see,  it  will  be  your  father's  camp,  and  doubt- 
less you  can  have  more  or  less  charge  of  it  if  you  like. 
That  will  put  you  at  once  in  a  position  of  authority, 
and  may  be  a  stepping-stone  to  something  bigger  later 
on  if  you  make  the  most  of  it." 

"The  chances  are  he'll  make  that — that  Irishman 
boss,"  said  Sam,  bitterly. 

"  Probably  he  will — if  you  refuse  to  take  it,"  answered 
Allen,  quietly ;  "  but  if  I  know  Farmer  Hawkins,  he 
would  much  rather  see  his  own  son  lay  claim  to  the 
position ;  and  believe  me,  Barney  wouldn't  for  an  in- 
stant dispute  your  right." 

Sam  made  no  reply.  He  was  compelled  to  admit  to 
himself  the  truth  of  what  the  minister  had  said,  but  the 
admission  brought  him  no  satisfaction,  and  the  impulse 
to  act  on  the  suggestion  that  he  should  claim  his  right- 
ful share  in  his  father's  enterprise,  though  it  did  come 
to  him  for  a  moment,  was  quickly  subdued  by  other 
thoughts.  He  gave  his  attention  to  the  woods  about 
him.  The  light  was  increasing  steadily,  and  it  was  pos- 
sible, soon,  to  see  everything  in  detail  within  the  com- 
paratively narrow  limits  of  vision.  The  larger  pine 
trees  in  this  section  had  been  cut  some  years  before,  and 
in  their  place  had  grown  up  among  the  smaller  pines  a 
forest  of  hemlock,  poplar,  birch,  and  balsam,  and  a  tan- 
gle of  brush  and  vines. 

Denizens  of  the  forest  were  astir  in  great  numbers. 
The  cheerful  notes  of  robin,  thrush,  catbird,  and  chick- 
adee, and  the  coarser  tones  of  bluejay  and  crow 
blended  in  a  woodland  chorus  which  struck  a  respon- 
sive chord  in  Allen's  breast.  Familiar  as  he  was  with 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  67 

these  voices  of  the  wildwood,  his  sympathetic  nature 
was  always  attuned  to  them  and  ready  to  thrill  with  the 
rhythm  of  their  song.  To  the  birds,  to  the  squirrels 
in  the  beech-trees,  to  the  timid  jack-rabbits  who  scur- 
ried away  in  the  underbrush  at  the  approach  of  the  two 
men,  to  the  gentle  doe,  who,  sniffing  them  from  afar, 
vanished  almost  before  she  was  seen,  Allen  felt  his 
heart  cry  out:  "Be  not  afraid!  I  am  your  friend, 
though  you  see  me  armed  with  the  weapon  of  an  en- 
emy. It  is  not  you  that  I  hunt." 

Sam  heeded  neither  the  songs  nor  the  singers.  The 
question  suggested  to  him  by  the  sight  of  every  living 
thing  was  whether  or  not  it  was  available  as  game. 
Birds,  squirrels,  rabbits,  doe  were  not  regarded  as  game, 
so  he  ignored  them.  He  kept  in  the  lead  when  he 
could  to  avoid  unpleasant  conversation.  As  the  fore- 
noon wore  on  very  little  was  said  by  either  except  the 
commonplace  remarks  provoked  by  immediate  circum- 
stances. Just  after  passing  through  the  great  huckle- 
berry swamp  and  striking  into  the  new  trail  through 
the  Sturgeon  forest,  the  minister  thought  he  saw  a 
bear.  A  movement  among  the  branches  of  a  tall  young 
pine  caught  his  eye,  and  looking  sharply  he  saw  a  dark 
figure  through  the  thick  foliage. 

"  There  he  is,  Sam ;  look ! "  he  exclaimed  in  a  loud 
whisper,  pointing  upward. 

"  What  ?    Where  ? "  asked  Sam. 

"  A  bear !   Don't  you  see  him,  there,  on  that  branch  ? " 

Both  men  stared  into  the  tree,  but  could  not  at  first 
make  out  clearly  the  figure  which  undoubtedly  was 
crouching  on  one  of  the  smaller  branches.  Suddenly 
a  change  of  position  disturbed  the  foliage  and  revealed 
the  quarry. 

"  A  porcupine ! "  exclaimed  Sam  in  disgust. 


68  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

"  Sure  enough,"  replied  Allen ;  "  not  much  of  a  find, 
after  all."  , 

"No,  but  we  may  as  well  bring  him  down.  The 
pesky  things  are  no  good,  and  they  ruin  every  dog 
that  tackles  them.  You  take  a  shot  at  him,  par- 
son." 

"All  right,"  agreed  Allen,  and  taking  deliberate  aim 
at  the  porcupine,  he  fired.  As  he  lowered  his  rifle  he 
looked  to  see  the  animal  fall  from  his  lofty  perch.  On 
the  contrary,  however,  he  humped  up  his  spines  for  an 
instant  and  then  settled  back  with  a  firmer  hold  on  the 
limb. 

"Better  try  it  again,"  said  Sam  with  a  smile.  " He 
doesn't  seem  to  mind  the  noise." 

"Well,  I'll  try  to  give  him  something  more  than 
noise  this  time,"  replied  the  parson,  laughing  good- 
naturedly  at  Sam's  sarcasm. 

With  a  still  more  careful  aim  Allen  fired  his  other 
barrel ;  but  the  porcupine  paid  no  -more  attention  to  it 
than  he  did  to  the  breeze  which  gently  swayed  the  tops 
of  the  trees. 

"  Guess  I'll  have  to  let  you  have  him,"  said  Allen, 
taking  a  seat  on  the  trunk  of  a  fallen  tree  and  proceed- 
ing to  reload  his  rifle.  "  I  used  to  be  a  pretty  good 
shot,"  he  added,  "but  for  the  last  twenty  years  I 
haven't  practised  much." 

"  Yes,  it's  a  peculiar  mark,  and  wants  an  experienced 
marksman,  don't  you  know.  I'll  settle  him,"  said  Sam, 
as  he  sighted  his  Enfield. 

Once,  twice,  three  times  he  blazed  away,  but  the 
porcupine  sat  unmoved  upon  his  pine  bough,  from  which 
he  had  gnawed  a  long  strip  of  the  tender  sweet  bark, 
a  favorite  repast  with  this  animal.  To  the  rain  of  shot 
he  seemed  utterly  indifferent. 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  69 

"That  plagued  beast  must  be  bewitched — or  else  I 
am,"  cried  Sam,  giving  way  to  his  vexation.  "I'll 
bring  him  down  if  it  takes  all  day." 

Again  he  aimed  with  unusual  care  and  pulled  the 
trigger,  but  with  no  better  result. 

"  Let  us  give  up  the  porcupine  and  go  on  in  search 
of  better  game,"  suggested  Allen.  "This  chap  is  in- 
vulnerable, apparently,  and  he  isn't  worth  so  much 
powder  and  shot." 

"I'll  be  hanged  if  I  go  till  that  porcupine  comes 
down,"  replied  Sam,  his  face  red  with  mortification  that 
he  should  make  such  a  poor  showing  at  his  first  trial 
before  the  minister. 

Three  times  more  he  banged  away  in  vain.  The 
animal  once  or  twice  bristled  up  and  then  seemed  to 
cling  tighter  than  ever  to  the  slender  limb  which  bent 
beneath  his  weight.  The  minister  at  last,  seeing  the 
useless  rage  into  which  Sam  was  working  himself,  in- 
terfered and  asked  for  another  trial,  promising  to  bring 
the  victim  down  with  two  shots.  Sam  stepped  aside 
with  a  poor  grace. 

"  I'll  bet  you  fifty — "  he  began,  and  then,  remem- 
bering who  his  companion  was,  he  stopped. 

"  I  don't  bet ;  but  I'll  show  you  a  trick  that  I've  seen 
worked  before  on  these  fellows." 

Up  came  the  parson's  rifle  to  his  shoulder,  where  it 
rested  firm  as  on  a  rock. 

"  You'll  never  hit  him,  aiming  that  way.  He's  more 
to  your  right,"  Sam  was  remarking,  when  both  barrels 
of  Allen's  rifle  spoke  in  quick  succession.  At  the  same 
instant  there  was  a  crack,  and  down  came  the  porcu- 
pine, bringing  his  branch  with  him. 

"  'When  the  bough  breaks  the  cradle  will  fall ; 
And  down  will  come  baby,  cradle  and  «11/  " 


70  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

sang  the  minister,  as  he  stood  his  rifle  against  a  tree 
and  began  looking  for  a  club.  His  bullets  had  so  sev- 
ered the  limb  that  it  would  hold  no  longer. 

Sam  forgot  his  vexation  in  his  frank  admiration  for 
the  parson's  marksmanship,  and  he  manfully  congratu- 
lated him  on  his  skill. 

"  You  could  have  done  it  just  as  well,  my  boy,  if  you 
had  thought  of  it,"  said  Allen.  "  But  I  think  I've  been 
told  that  the  spines  or  quills  of  the  porcupine  form  an 
armor  that  sheds  bullets  as  easily  as  a  duck's  back  does 
raindrops.  Very  likely  you  hit  the  rascal  with  every 
shot." 

"  That's  so,  perhaps  I  did.  I'd  rather  believe  in  the 
armor  than  think  I  missed  so  many  shots,"  replied 
Sam,  completely  won  by  the  minister's  ready  tact  and 
generous  praise.  As  they  pushed  on  through  the 
woods,  he  found  himself  on  a  more  friendly  and  inti- 
mate footing  with  the  parson,  and  he  listened  with  sur- 
prise to  Allen's  stories  of  adventures,  his  descriptions 
of  places  and  things,  and  his  many  scraps  of  useful  in- 
formation, drawn  from  his  long  experience  and  close 
observation  in  the  forests,  on  the  streams,  and  with  the 
pioneers  of  the  section. 

At  noon  they  sat  on  the  banks  of  the  Sturgeon  to 
rest  and  eat  their  luncheon.  No  big  game  had  been 
found.  Both  hunters  were  tired  with  their  long  fore- 
noon tramp  in  and  out  of  the  woods,  through  the  swamps 
of  black  ash  and  huckleberries,  and  along  the  shores  of 
the  river ;  but  patience  is  one  of  the  first  requirements 
in  the  outfit  of  the  hunter.  They  were  not  discouraged. 
Something  worth  while  would  turn  up  during  the  after- 
noon,— or  they  would  turn  it  up. 

For  an  hour  or  two  after  finishing  their  lunch  they 
explored  a  thick  jungle  of  tanglewood  skirting  one  of 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  71 

the  numerous  lagoons  near  the  Sturgeon.  Here  they 
confidently  expected  to  find  a  quarry,  and  here,  indeed, 
they  discovered  unmistakable  signs  of  bear.  Follow- 
ing the  tracks  they  came  to  the  edge  of  the  swale  and 
waited  quietly  for  some  minutes  with  eyes  and  ears 
alert  for  the  slightest  movement.  Presently  Sam 
pointed  excitedly  to  a  spot  about  forty  yards  distant 
where  the  tall  grass  was  being  disturbed  by  some  un- 
seen cause.  Neither  man  spoke,  but  eyes  and  ges- 
tures were  eloquent,  as  without  a  sound  they  prepared 
for  whatever  might  come.  It  was  impossible  to  tell 
whether  the  supposed  bear  was  alone  or  not,  whether 
a  coward  or  a  fighter.  If  a  coward,  he  might  slip  away 
before  they  could  get  a  shot  at  him.  A  fight  would  be 
preferable  to  a  flight  any  day. 

A  moment  later  the  hunted  animal  sniffed  the  ene- 
my. Raising  himself  upon  a  fallen  log  he  peered  above 
the  swamp  grass,  espied  the  hunters,  and  with  a  grunt 
of  disapproval  dropped  down  and  disappeared  before 
either  of  the  two  sportsmen  could  aim  a  gun  or  pull  a 
trigger. 

"  Well !  That  bear  is  taking  no  chances,"  exclaimed 
Allen,  as  for  an  instant  they  watched  the  rapid  retreat 
•of  bruin  and  noted  the  direction  by  the  waving  grass. 

"Come  on,  we  mustn't  let  him  escape!"  cried 
Sam.  "  He's  the  biggest  one  I've  seen  yet.  There's 
no  use  trying  to  follow  him  direct.  He's  making  across 
the  swale  and  isn't  likely  to  stop  until  he  gets  to  the 
other  side,  anyhow.  Our  game  is  to  catch  him  in  the 
huckleberry  marsh  beyond.  We'll  have  to  head  him 
off.  You  go  to  the  north  and  I'll  go  to  the  south,  and 
we'll  meet  on  the  other  side  of  the  swale.  If  you  run 
across  him,  take  him  just  behind  the  shoulder  or  in  the 
snout,  don't  you  know,  and  he's  yours." 


72  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

Sam  rattled  off  his  instructions  in  breathless  haste 
and  hurried  off. 

"  Right  you  are,  my  boy ! "  called  the  parson  after 
him,  as  he  himself  turned  in  the  opposite  direction. 

The  circuitous  trip  through  the  tanglewood  was  not 
so  easily  or  speedily  accomplished  as  the  comparatively 
short  distance  would  indicate  at  a  glance.  Fully  half 
an  hour  passed  before  Allen  found  himself  in  the  big 
huckleberry  marsh  where  the  going  was  not  so  difficult. 
The  ground  was  covered  with  gray  moss  and  occa- 
sional rocks,  and  the  high-growing  huckleberry,  or  blue- 
berry, bushes  were  scattered  over  many  acres  in  thick 
clumps,  higher  often  than  a  man's  head. 

Allen  looked  in  vain  for  any  sign  of  Sam  or  the  bear. 
It  was  impossible  to  see  more  than  a  few  yards  in  any 
direction,  and  he  proceeded  cautiously  toward  the 
point  where  Sam  should  have  entered  the  marsh.  He 
hesitated  to  call  out,  fearing  to  warn  the  bear  of  his 
proximity.  Presently  a  movement  among  the  bushes 
about  twenty  feet  directly  ahead  of  him  attracted  his 
attention,  and  he  stood  still  to  listen. 

"  There  is  his  lordship,  now,"  he  mused.  "  If  he  will 
only  show  himself,  or  grunt  out  a  statement  of  his  ex- 
act position,  I  will  present  him  to  Sam  as  a  trophy  of 
our  first  hunting  trip." 

With  his  gun  at  his  shoulder  he  waited,  but  the  bear 
did  not  appear.  Instead,  he  heard  a  low  but  distinct 
noise  like  a  string  of  metallic  beads  rubbed  together. 

"  A  rattler !  Mr.  Bear  has  stirred  up  a  nasty  cus- 
tomer; but  he  saved  me  from  running  against  it,  so  he 
has  my  gratitude." 

Allen  began  to  make  a  detour  as  noiselessly  as  pos- 
sible, to  get  within  sight  of  the  bear  which  he  supposed 
was  on  the  farther  side  of  a  large  bush.  He  had  gone 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  73 

about  half  the  short  distance  when  the  same  low, 
threatening  sound  reached  his  ears  again.  It  sent  a 
disagreeable  chill  over  his  body.  Twice  before  in  his 
life  he  had  come  in  contact  with  the  deadly  massasauga, 
or  swamp  rattlesnake,  and  he  knew  enough  of  its  fear- 
ful power  and  venom  to  dread  it  most  heartily.  He 
hesitated  whether  to  go  on  or  to  hasten  away  from  the 
spot ;  but  in  a  moment,  reflecting  that  the  snake  would 
hardly  leave  its  present  position  while  in  a  fighting 
mood  until  it  had  sprung  upon  the  enemy  which  had 
disturbed  it,  he  pushed  on  more  quickly  in  his  circuit 
to  the  farther  side  of  the  bush.  A  few  steps  brought 
him  in  full  view  of  a  sight  a3  startling  as  it  was  unex- 
pected. Coiled  in  the  midst  of  a  thick  clump  of  bushes, 
which  had  been  rudely  pressed  apart,  was  the  massa- 
sauga. His  ugly,  bulldog-shaped  head  was  thrust  up 
about  a  foot  from  the  centre  of  the  coil,  and  was  mov- 
ing back  and  forth  with  a  dizzy  sideways  motion.  His 
wide  mouth  was  stretched  open,  and  the  long,  forked 
tongue  flickered  to  and  fro,  as  though  with  an  eager 
relish  for  its  victim.  Just  behind  the  head,  but  pro- 
truding only  about  half  as  high  from  the  centre  of  the 
coil  was  the  horny  tail  with  its  string  of  rattles.  No 
bear  was  in  sight,  but  standing  directly  in  front  of  the 
deadly  snake,  and  scarcely  arm's  length  away  from  it, 
was  Sam  Hawkins.  He  seemed  rooted  to  the  spot  and 
powerless  to  move.  Surprise,  terror,  repugnance,  and 
a  strange  look  of  fascination  struggled  together  in  his 
face.  His  hands  were  raised  as  if  to  ward  off  a  blow, 
but  he  made  no  effort  to  escape  or  to  defend  himself. 
Meanwhile  the  rattlesnake  showed  every  sign  of  intense 
rage.  His  head  swelled,  and  then  flattened  and  darted 
hither  and  thither,  the  beady  eyes  gleaming  wickedly. 
His  tail  buzzed  round  and  round,  giving  forth  at  inter- 


74  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

vals  the  sharp  metallic  rattle  which  is  always  recognized 
as  the  warning  before  an  attack.  Those  who  have 
heard  the  sound  say  it  can  never  be  forgotten. 

The  minister  took  in  the  scene  in  an  instant.  Sam 
was  in  deadly  peril.  It  was  universally  believed  that 
the  massasauga  gave  three  warning  rattles  before 
striking.  Allen  had  heard  two,  but  he  could  not  be 
sure  whether  he  had  heard  the  first.  There  was  not  a 
second  to  lose.  Instinctively  he  clubbed  his  rifle,  and, 
springing  forward,  dealt  a  crushing  blow  at  the  rattle- 
snake. The  butt  of  his  rifle  struck  a  hidden  rock  and 
broke  into  splinters,  and  the  barrel  flew  out  of  his  hand. 
The  rattlesnake  was  only  stunned  for  a  moment,  and 
almost  before  Allen  could  recover  from  the  shock  of 
his  own  blow,  the  snake  began  to  show  fight.  With- 
out a  thought  of  risk,  quick  as  a  flash,  Allen  jumped  at 
him  and  planted  his  left  foot  about  eight  or  ten  inches 
below  the  ugly  head.  The  rattlesnake  squirmed  and 
twisted  in  the  soft  ground  in  frantic  efforts  to  escape. 
Then  he  struck  his  fangs  against  the  minister's  tough 
horsehide  boots,  which  fortunately  were  proof  against 
his  attacks.  A  cold  sweat  broke  out  on  Allen's  body 
as  he  realized  his  position.  To  hold  the  writhing  snake 
seemed  impossible.  To  allow  him  to  escape  was  almost 
certain  death,  so  loath  is  the  massasauga  to  abandon  a 
foe  until  he  has  bitten  him  to  his  heart's  content.  The 
barrel  of  his  rifle  lay  just  out  of  reach.  Sam  stood 
near  by  in  a  daze,  and  seemingly  unable  to  help  himself 
or  the  minister.  Allen  paid  no  more  attention  to  him 
than  if  he  were  not  there.  His  whole  thought  was 
bent  upon  getting  his  rifle  barrel  without  releasing  the 
snake.  Glancing  quickly  around,  the  branches  of  the 
huckleberry  bush  brushed  his  face.  Eagerly  he  grasped 
a  long  slender  branch  and  broke  it  off.  Making  a  loop 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  75 

he  reached  it  out  toward  his  rifle  barrel  and  just  suc- 
ceeded in  hooking  the  branch  over  the  end  and  slipping 
it  along  to  the  middle.  A  quick  jerk,  and  the  steel 
weapon  was  in  his  hands.  In  a  moment  he  had  beaten 
the  life  out  of  his  venomous  foe.  The  rattlesnake  was 
about  an  inch  and  a  half  in  thickness  and  about  four 
feet  long,  sinewy  and  strong.  He  had  eleven  rattles 
and  a  button,  showing  him  to  be  thirteen  years  old. 
Allen  had  fought  him  in  silence,  and  when  he  saw  the 
dreaded  reptile  lying  at  last  dead  and  mangled  at  his 
feet,  he  turned  away  and  sat  down  wearily  upon  the 
rock  which  had  wrecked  his  new  rifle.  Even  his  strong 
frame  could  not  withstand,  for  the  moment,  the  feeling 
of  weakness  and  reaction  which  followed  a  battle  with 
the  deadliest  inhabitant  of  that  wilderness. 

Sam  came  to  himself  with  a  gasp  and  a  deep  sigh. 
He  sprang  to  the  minister  and  grasped  him  by  the 
shoulder. 

"  You  saved  my  life !  You  saved  my  life ! "  he  ex- 
claimed, nervously.  "  Did  he  bite  you  ?  Are  you  hurt  ? 
I  couldn't  have  moved  to  save  my  soul,  though  I  knew 
he  was  going  to  strike.  I  never  met  one  of  those  devils 
before,  and  I  hope  to  God  I  never  shall  again.  I've 
heard  they  can  hold  a  man  in  a  spell  so  that  he  can't 
move  hand  or  foot.  I  never  believed  it ;  now  I  know 
it's  true.  I  felt  it  the  minute  I  saw  him,  and  I  knew 
what  he  was,  though  I  never  saw  one  before.  You 
saved  my  life,  Mr.  Allen ;  and  you  risked  your  own  to 
doit." 

Sam  was  more  overcome  by  the  incident  than  the 
minister,  and  spoke  quickly  and  excitedly,  without  a 
trace  of  his  usual  affectation.  As  the  minister  listened, 
he  recovered  his  own  calm  self-possession  and  hastened 
to  divert  the  young  man's  mind  from  the  horror  of  his 


76  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

recent  plight.  Picking  up  the  splintered  butt  of  his 
rifle  he  looked  at  it  with  a  rueful  smile  and  held  it  out 
to  Sam. 

"  Guess  I'll  have  to  give  up  hunting,"  he  said  with  a 
laugh ;  "  I  don't  seem  to  know  how  to  handle  a  gun  after 
all.  This  pretty  new  toy  had  a  short  career." 

"  But  a  glorious  one,  by  Jove ! "  broke  in  Sam.  "  It 
came  to  its  end  in  saving  my  worthless  life,  and  I'll 
make  it  good  just  as  soon  as  I  can." 

"Thank  God ! "  exclaimed  Allen. 

''Why,  of  course;  why  shouldn't  I?"  asked  Sam, 
surprised  at  the  minister's  fervency. 

"  There  is  no  reason  why  you  shouldn't,  and  every 
reason  in  the  world  why  you  should.  I  earnestly  hope 
you  will  do  it." 

"  I'll  borrow  the  money  to-morrow,  and  get  you  one 
just  like  it  if  Jake  has  another  in  his  store.  If  not,  I'll 
go  to  Midland,"  said  Sam,  slightly  nettled  that  the 
minister  should  press  the  matter  so  hard. 

"  I  wasn't  referring  to  the  rifle,  Sam.  I  don't  care 
for  another  one,"  replied  the  minister,  quietly. 

"No?  What  then?"  asked  Sam,  more  than  ever 
puzzled. 

"  I'm  glad  to  have  disposed  of  my  rifle  in  the  way  I 
did,  Sam.  Perhaps  it  can  be  counted  as  a  part  of  the 
investment,"  replied  Allen,  enigmatically. 

"  What  investment  ?  What  do  you  mean  ? "  persisted 
Sam. 

Allen  glanced  at  the  sun,  and  then  looked  at  his 
watch. 

"  It's  growing  late,"  he  said.  "  If  we  want  to  get 
home  by  dark  we  must  go  on  at  once.  Come,  we've 
had  hunting  enough  for  one  day;  let's  have  a  nice 
friendly  chat  on  the  way  home." 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  77 

He  linked  his  arm  affectionately  through  Sam's,  as 
they  turned  toward  the  western  forest,  and  for  some 
moments  the  two  walked  on  in  silence,  having  found 
tfte  corduroy  road  which  ran  through  the  swamp. 

"  That  trifle  of  killing  the  snake,  even  if  I  was  fortu- 
nate enough  to  save  you  from  being  bitten,  doesn't 
measure  how  much  I  think  of  you,  Sam,"  said  Allen, 
presently.  "I  wish  I  could  do  more  than  that.  I 
know  you  don't  like  to  have  me  preach  to  you ;  but 
we're  here  all  alone  together  with  no  inquisitive  ears  to 
hear  what  passes  in  confidence,  and  there  are  some 
things  I  want  to  say,  just  as  an  elder  brother  who  loves 
you  and  longs  to  do  something  for  you.  Won't  you  let 
me,  Sam?" 

The  moment  which  the  young  man  had  dreaded  since 
the  trip  was  first  planned  had  arrived.  He  was  pain- 
fully ill  at  ease ;  yet  the  feeling  of  resentment  which  he 
had  expected,  and  which,  indeed,  he  had  depended  upon 
to  inspire  a  suitable  retort  to  any  such  advances,  was 
strangely  lacking.  A  sense  of  his  own  unworthiness 
crept  into  his  heart  and  made  any  resentment  hard 
to  rouse.  With  the  self-abasement  came  a  feeling 
of  the  minister's  strength  and  manliness,  and  his  un- 
assuming goodness.  Even  some  slight  thrill  from 
his  great,  loving,  eager  heart  seemed  to  find  a  sen- 
sitive chord  in  Sam's  breast,  and  as  he  thought  of 
the  unhesitating  bravery  with  which  the  minister 
had  risked  his  life  for  him  just  now,  all  his  opposi- 
tion melted  away,  and  he  stammered,  with  a  choke  in 
his  throat : 

"  Why — why — of  course,  you  can  say  what  you  like 
— I  mean— it's  very  kind  of  you  to  take  so  much  inter- 
est in  me.  I  don't  know  why  you  should." 

"  I  do  take  an  interest  in  you,  Sam,— more  than  you 


78  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

can  think;  because  I  care  for  you, — and  for  another 
reason,  that  you  may  know  some  day." 

He  drew  Sam's  arm  tighter  in  his  own,  and  continued 
in  a  tone  of  friendly  intimacy,  softened  by  the  deep 
earnestness  and  solicitude  which  he  could  not  repress. 

"  I  spoke  of  the  broken  rifle  as  a  part  or  the  invest- 
ment. It  could  be  only  a  very  small  part,  of  course. 
Did  you  ever  think  of  the  $1,200  spent  for  your  four 
years'  college  course  as  an  investment  ? " 

"  No — I  never  thought  of  it  just  that  way,"  admitted 
Sam. 

"But  it  was,  nevertheless.  The  business  man  in- 
vests his  money  in  his  store,  the  speculator  invests  in  a 
gold  mine,  the  trustee  invests  in  government  bonds. 
They  all  expect  to  get  the  money  back  for  themselves, 
or  some  one  else,  with  interest ;  and  they  always  do,  if 
—if  what,  Sam  ? " 

"  Why — if  the  security  was  good,  I  suppose,"  said 
Sam,  flushing  uncomfortably. 

"  Exactly ;  if  the  security  was  good.  A  father  in- 
vests $1,200  in  his  boy  to  give  him  a  college  course. 
More  than  that,  he  invests  untold  prayers,  and  self- 
denial,  and  tears,  and  heart-yearnings  that  cannot  be 
uttered.  Will  the  investment  pay  ?  Was  the  security 
good  ?  Or  was  it — was  it — like  the  shares  in  a  gold 
mine  which  I  bought  one  time,  many  years  ago,  in  the 
hope  of  getting  rich  without  working  ?  The  certificates 
were  elegantly  printed  and  emblazoned  with  big  gold 
seals,  but — they  weren't  worth  a  cent.  The  security 
was  worthless." 

The  minister  was  silent  for  several  moments,  and 
Sam  did  not  venture  any  reply.  The  picture  startled 
him.  He  seemed  to  see  himself  in  a  mirror,  but  look- 
ing as  he  had  never  looked  before.  He  caught  his 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  79 

breath,  and  asked  himself  again  and  again,  "Am  I 
worthless  ?  Am  I  really  worthless  ? "  It  was  a  relief 
to  hear  the  minister's  voice  again ;  but  the  words  star- 
tled him  afresh.  They  answered  his  latest  thoughts. 
Had  he  spoken  them  aloud  ? 

"  Sam,  no  man  is  worthless.  That's  the  grandeur  of 
being  a  man.  There's  something  in  man  that's  won- 
derful and  mysterious.  It  is  awful,  when  you  come  to 
think  of  it ;  yet  it  is  splendid  and  inspiring.  A  man 
may  not  realize  that  it  is  there.  It  may  never  work  its 
wonders  through  him,  because  he  smothers  it ;  but  it 
is  there,  always  there,  through  boyhood,  through  young 
manhood,  through  old  age.  It  is  ready  and  waiting, 
waiting,  waiting  to  thrill  him  through  and  through  and 
make  him  perform  mighty  deeds  and  stand  as  a  king  in 
the  earth.  That  wonderful  thing  is  in  you  this  very 
moment,  Sam ! " 

The  minister's  earnest  words  had  come  with  more 
and  more  intensity  of  feeling  as  he  went  from  sentence 
to  sentence,  and  the  last  one  was  spoken  almost  in  a 
whisper,  as  he  clutched  Sam's  arm  in  an  eager  grasp. 
The  young  man  was  trembling  with  a  fear  that  he 
could  not  understand.  He  felt  the  mystery  and  the 
throb  of  earnestness  in  the  minister's  strange  words, 
but  he  could  not  guess  their  meaning.  At  last,  unable 
to  endure  the  silence,  he  asked,  hesitatingly : 

"What  is  it?" 

"The  breath  of  God,"  said  Allen. 

Sam  shivered.  After  a  moment's  pause  the  minister 
quoted  in  a  low  tone,  but  with  thrilling  emphasis : 

"'And  the  Lord  God  formed  man  of  the  dust  of  the 
ground,  and  breathed  into  his  nostrils  the  breath  of  life ; 
and  man  became  a  living  soul'  A  living  soul,  Sam,— 
living  by  the  breath  of  God  in  your  nostrils.  Isn't  it  a 


8o  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

wonderful  thought — awful,  but  glorious?  And  why 
did  God  breathe  His  own  breath  into  man  ?  He  had  a 
purpose.  Listen:  'And  God  said,  Let  us  make  man 
in  our  image,  after  our  likeness ;  and  let  them  have  do- 
minion over  all  the  earth  .  .  .  and  subdue  it!  You 
see,  God  never  intended  man  to  grovel,  or  be  content 
with  little  things  or  a  narrow  life.  He  set  him  on  his 
feet  and  told  him  to  be  a  king.  And  so  he  can  be ;  and 
soyou  can  be,  Sam." 

"  How  ? "  asked  Sam,  as  the  minister  seemed  to  be 
waiting  for  him  to  speak. 

"  First  of  all,  and  most  important  of  all,  by  making 
war  upon  your  worst  enemy  and  conquering  him,  by 
crushing  out  his  opposing  forces  and  weaknesses,  by 
re-creating  in  him  a  new  being,  by  giving  his  good 
qualities  a  chance  to  grow,  by  ruling  over  him  wisely, 
firmly,  unyieldingly.  When  you  have  done  that  you 
will  be  a  king,  ready  for  wider  conquests." 

"  My  worst  enemy ? " 

"  Yourself !  You  must  either  conquer  or  surrender. 
One  means  kingship ;  the  other  is  slavery.  Why,  Sam, 
man ! "  cried  the  minister,  stopping  suddenly  in  the  road 
and  facing  the  young  man,  his  eyes  blazing  with  enthu- 
siasm, "  you  are  not  cut  out  for  a  slave.  You  have  it 
in  you  to  rule.  Be  what  you  have  it  in  you  to  be. 
Grapple  with  yourself  and  win.  It  will  give  you  a  con- 
fidence in  your  own  power,  and  an  outlook  into  the 
future  that  will  surprise  you.  These  backwoods  are 
just  the  place  for  a  rough-and-tumble  fight  to  the  finish 
with  the  worst  enemy,  and  probably  the  only  enemy, 
you  have.  You  think  there  is  nothing  here  for  a  col- 
lege man  to  do  and  be  proud  of  ?  Don't  be  fooled ; 
that's  one  of  the  lies  your  enemy  tells  you.  Through 
his  eyes,  the  opportunities  here  don't  look  attractive. 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  81 

Get  away  from  him,  and  you  won't  be  so  anxious  to  get 
away  from  here.  Then  you  can  dominate  circum- 
stances, and  not  let  them  dominate  you.  The  world 
owes  you  a  living,  but  it  won't  pay  the  debt  of  its  own 
accord.  You've  got  to  get  out  and  collect  it.  And  let 
me  tell  you,  if  you  are  not  spry,  that  debtor  will  palm 
off  on  you  a  poorer  living  than  belongs  to  you.  It  de- 
pends on  you  to  collect  the  full  amount." 

The  two  men  were  approaching  the  forest,  and  as  the 
open  road  grew  shorter  the  minister's  enthusiasm  in- 
creased, and  he  spoke  rapidly,  realizing  that  conversa- 
tion would  not  be  so  easy  after  entering  the  narrow, 
irregular  path  through  the  woods. 

"  Look  here,  Sam,"  he  continued,  "any  man  can  walk 
on  a  smooth  road.  It  takes  more  grit  and  determina- 
tion to  push  on  over  a  tangle  of  logs  and  brushwood. 
Just  so,  it  will  show  the  man  in  you  if  you  make  an 
honorable  place  for  yourself  right  here  among  these 
backwoodsmen.  They  will  see  it  quickly  enough,  too. 
Who  knows  but  they  may  want  to  send  you  to  repre- 
sent them  in  the  outside  world  some  day  ?  The  only 
safe  rule  here,  or  anywhere,  is  not  to  be  satisfied  with 
anything  short  of  the  best  you  can  do,  and  the  most 
honorable  position  you  can  occupy.  That's  the  way 
men  move  on.  Hold  your  head  high  among  these 
rough,  true-hearted  men,  Sam — not  to  look  down  on 
them,  but  to  compel  them  to  look  up  to  you.  I'm  so 
anxious  for  you,  my  boy.  It  almost  seems  as  if  the  in- 
vestment had  been  my  own.  I  want  you  to  be  such  a 
man  in  your  most  secret  life  that  when  you  look  at 
yourself  in  the  glass  you  can  say,  'Sam  Hawkins,  I'm 
proud  to  know  you.'  Then  you  can  depend  upon  it 
that  others  also  will  be  proud  to  know  you.  Dear  me, 
here  we  are  at  the  woods  again.  I've  preached  quite  a 


82  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

bit  for  a  hunter ;  but  Sam,  my  boy,  think  of  what  I 
have  said,  and  whenever  you  remember  it,  remember 
that  I  said  it  because  I  love  you.  I  hope  you  will  come 
to  me  for  help  whenever  you  need  it." 

Sam  muttered  an  almost  inaudible  "  thank  you  "  and 
went  on  in  silence.  Allen  made  no  further  trespass  on 
his  thoughts,  hoping  and  praying  that  something  of  his 
hurried  talk  would  find  lodgement;  and,  indeed,  Sam 
was  more  impressed  than  he  had  ever  been.  A  strug- 
gle was  already  begun  which  made  him  glow  with  hope 
and  purpose,  or  tremble  as  he  felt  the  strong  hold  of 
his  evil  life  upon  him.  Could  he  break  away  from  it 
and  be  a  man  such  as  the  minister  had  pictured  ?  Why 
not  ?  It  would  be  hard  work ;  but  the  minister  had 
seemed  so  sure,  and  he  must  know  something  about 
men.  It  would  be  a  relief  to  get  rid  of  the  heavy  feel- 
ing of  discontent  which  came,  no  doubt,  from  doing 
what  other  people  condemned,  and  avoiding  what  they 
regarded  as  duty.  Probably  they  were  right.  In  fact, 
of  course  they  were.  He  was  no  fool.  It  was  all  well 
enough  to  pretend  to  his  folks,  and  to  Sevvard,  and  the 
rest,  that  he  had  a  perfect  right  to  do  as  he  was  doing; 
but  in  his  heart  of  hearts,  where  no  one  but  himself 
could  see,  he  knew  that  it  was  all  a  lie.  "  Where  no 
one  but  himself  could  see  ? "  Another  shiver  ran  over 
him  as  he  repeated  the  words  and  realized  their  awful 
error.  Surely,  it  would  be  worth  any  amount  of  strug- 
gle to  set  himself  right  in  the  eyes  of  the  two  who 
could  read  his  heart.  How  fine  it  would  be  to  feel  that 
he  was  really  master,  that  he  could  fill  a  high  place, 
that  he  could  compel  others  to  look  up  to  him— even 
these  ignorant  louts,  as  he  had  called  them.  Were 
they  not  better  than  he,  after  all  ?  The  young  man's 
heart  was  sadly  torn  with  the  contending  thoughts  and 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  83 

questionings  which  had  taken  possession  during  the 
past  hour.  He  was  almost  persuaded.  Perhaps  he 
would  talk  with  the  minister  to-morrow  of  his  own 
accord. 

The  homeward  trip  was  accomplished  without  adven- 
ture or  further  conversation.  As  they  approached  the 
house,  Sam  saw  Seward  coming  toward  him  and  wav- 
ing a  paper  in  his  hand.  After  a  hurried  greeting  to 
the  minister,  Seward  dragged  his  friend  out  of  hearing 
and  exclaimed  excitedly : 

"  They're  coming,  Sam,  both  of  them !  Here  are  the 
letters." 

"  Who  ? "  asked  Sam  in  bewilderment. 

"Walt  and  Billy!" 

That  night  Sam  could  not  sleep.  The  conflict  raged 
fiercely.  A  new  element  had  been  introduced  by  the 
two  letters,  which,  although  expected,  had  come  at  such 
a  critical  moment.  He  would  like  to  take  up  the  new 
life  which  the  minister  had  made  so  attractive,  but  he 
was  already  committed  to  the  three  "  Invincibles  "  and 
their  scheme  for  Mystic  Isle.  It  was  too  late  to  back 
out.  This  was  the  end  of  all  his  feeble  bouts  with  his 
evil  genius,  and  at  last  he  accepted  it  as  the  inevitable. 
But  what  about  the  minister  ?  He  was  more  than  ever 
afraid  of  him  now.  And  he  had  saved  his  life !  More 
than  that,  he  had  twice  told  Sam  that  he  loved  him ; 
and  Sam  believed  it.  What  should  he  do  ?  He  could 
think  of  nothing  but  the  coward's  refuge.  He  must 
keep  out  of  his  sight,  or  at  least  avoid  being  alone  with 
him  for  a  single  instant.  Yet  he  wished— but  no,  it 
was  too  late — too  late. 


CHAPTER   VI 

ALL  that  summer  Sam  kept  his  resolve  not  to  see 
the  minister.  During  Allen's  absence  from  the  farm 
when  visiting  and  preaching  at  other  villages  and  set- 
tlements throughout  the  section,  Sam  came  home  as 
usual ;  but  when  the  minister  returned  from  his  trips 
and  made  his  home  with  Farmer  Hawkins,  Sam  re- 
mained away  on  one  pretext  or  another,  spending  his 
time  in  the  forest,  on  his  "  Mystic  Isle,"  or  with  Walt 
and  Billy  at  the  home  of  Seward  Rathaway.  The  four 
"  Invincibles  "  were  together  most  of  the  time,  "  camp- 
ing, fishing,  shooting,"  as  they  claimed  when  questioned 
concerning  their  occupation,  but  always  "too  busy" 
when  called  upon  to  take  part  in  any  of  the  affairs 
which  interested  their  neighbors. 

Toward  Lettie  Green,  Sam's  attitude  was  one  of 
friendliness,  patronizing  tolerance,  or  impatience.  It 
varied  as  her  behavior  to  him  varied.  He  desired  quiet 
complaisance  on  her  part  with  the  existing  state  of 
affairs.  Some  demonstration  of  affection  he  permitted, 
as  his  due.  Too  much  irritated  him,  and  anything  like 
reproaches  or  pleadings  angered  him.  By  degrees  the 
proud  but  infatuated  girl,  stung  by  his  indifference, 
suppressed  her  own  feelings,  and  cast  about  for  some 
means  to  occupy  her  mind  and  give  her  a  stronger  sense 
of  independence. 

There  had  long  been  need  for  a  school  in  Red-Keg 
for  the  smaller  children  who  were  unable  to  make  the 
long  trip  to  Midland.  More  than  once  Lettie  had 

84 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  85 

heard  the  subject  mentioned,  always  coupled  with  the 
regret  that  no  one  with  the  necessary  courage  and 
qualifications  could  be  found  to  attempt  the  uninviting 
task.  The  conviction  grew  upon  her  through  those 
summer  weeks  that  this  was  her  opportunity.  Her 
father,  Andrew  Green,  was  at  home  so  little  that  she 
hardly  thought  of  consulting  him.  Boss  for  a  firm  of 
lumbermen,  he  was  engaged  in  the  forest  some  ten 
miles  up  the  river  during  the  winter,  and  in  the  spring 
he  went  to  Saginaw  on  business  and  remained  away  a 
large  part  of  the  summer.  He  never  found  time  to  be 
on  intimate  terms  with  his  daughter.  Her  aunt  would 
hardly  prove  sympathetic,  Lettie  feared.  She  sought 
the  advice  of  Mother  Hawkins. 

"  My  dear  child,"  said  she,  "you  could  not  find  a  no- 
bler work — if  you  think  it  would  not  be  too  much  for 
you.  The  dear  lambs  are  growing  up  like  so  many 
young  pine-trees — tall,  and  straight,  and  strong — and 
with  just  as  little  brains.  Only  I'm  afraid  you  will  not 
find  them  quite  so  steady." 

"They're  more  like  wildcats,  I  guess,"  said  Lettie. 

"Yes,  they  will  need  taming  before  they  can  be 
taught  anything;  but— if  you  are  not  afraid,  dear — we 
will  stand  by  you." 

Lettie' s  next  visit  was  to  her  friend  Norine  Maloney, 
to  whom  she  confided  her  plan.  There  she  found  sym- 
pathy and  admiration  for  her  pluck. 

"  But,  oh,  Lettie,  do  you  think  you  can  stand  it  ?  It 
wouldn't  be  so  bad  if  you  were  only  going  to  have 
the  little  girls,  but  there'll  be  a  crowd  of  boys,  and 
some  of  them  are  dreadful,"  said  Norine  doubtfully, 
as  the  probabilities  of  the  case  began  to  dawn  upon 
her. 

"I  know,  Norine;  I've  thought  it  all  over;  it  will  be 


86  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

hard;  but  I  must  do  something.  Working  around  at 
home  doesn't  take  up  my  mind  enough." 

Norine  noticed  a  plaintive  tone  that  was  new  in  her 
friend's  voice  and  wondered  at  it,  but  she  only  said, 
encouragingly : 

"  If  anybody  can  do  it,  you  can,  Lettie.  Have  you 
told  any  one  else  ? " 

"  Only  you  and  Mother  Hawkins ;  but  I  want  you 
to  come  with  me  to  see  Mr.  Waters.  He'll  know  just 
what  I  ought  to  do." 

And  so  one  bright  morning  the  two  girls  drove  down 
the  river  road  to  the  home  of  the  Midland  schoolmas- 
ter. About  half-way  between  Red-Keg  and  Midland 
was  the  farm  of  Hal  Marthy,  and  Norine  suggested 
that  they  turn  in  for  a  few  minutes  to  pass  the  time  of 
day  with  their  friend  Axcy.  As  they  approached  the 
house  Lettie  exclaimed : 

"Why,  there's  Mr.  Waters  now,  and  talking  to 
Axcy!" 

She  pointed  to  where  the  two  stood,  near  the  gate, 
engaged  so  earnestly  in  conversation  that  they  did  not 
observe  the  newcomers  until  the  buckboard  came  to  a 
stop  near  them. 

"  My,  how  you  startled  me ! "  cried  Axcy,  flushing  a 
little  at  sight  of  her  friends.  "  What  brings  you  down 
here?" 

"  We  were  on  our  way  to  see  Mr.  Waters,  and  we 
just  stopped  in  to  see  you  first.  Now  we  find  you  both 
at  once,"  replied  Lettie.  "And  it  seems  you  have  the 
first  claim  to  him  this  morning,"  she  added,  a  little 
maliciously. 

"  Mr.  Waters  came  to  see  me  on  business,  but  it  can 
wait  just  as  well  as  not,"  said  Axcy,  fully  recovered 
from  her  momentary  embarrassment. 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  87 

"Business ? "  said  Lettie,  with  just  a  perceptible  lift- 
ing of  her  eyebrows.  "  Oh,  well,  that's  what  we  came 
for,  too;  but  don't  let  us  interrupt.  Rock  can  rest  in 
the  shade  a  while,  and  I'm  going  to  get  a  drink.  Come 
on,  Norine,"  and  the  two  girls,  springing  lightly  to  the 
ground,  started  toward  the  well. 

"  Let  me  help  you,"  said  the  schoolmaster,  hastening 
after  them  and  grasping  the  windlass. 

"  Why  not  tell  Axcy,  too  ? "  whispered  Norine.  "  It 
can't  hurt ;  she's  a  dear." 

"I  don't  know,"  replied  Lettie,  doubtfully;  then, 
holding  the  brimming  dipper  poised  in  her  hand  she 
said,  looking  first  at  Axcy  and  then  at  the  school- 
master : 

"  Mr.  Waters,  I  want  to  start  a  school  at  Red-Keg 
for  the  small  children,  and  I  came  to  talk  with  you 
about  it." 

"  How  funny ! "  cried  Axcy,  looking  at  Mr.  Waters 
knowingly. 

"  Why  is  it  funny  ? "  asked  Lettie,  piqued  that  a  mat- 
ter so  serious  to  her  should  be  regarded  as  a  joke. 

"Only  as  a  coincidence,"  said  the  schoolmaster; 
then,  glancing  at  Axcy  and  receiving  a  nod  of  permis- 
sion, he  continued: 

"  Just  now  I  was  asking  Axcy  to  help  me  in  teach- 
ing the  younger  children  in  my  school  so  that  I  may 
have  more  time  for  the  older  scholars,  and  she  was  on 
the  point  of  consenting — I  hope — when  you  drove  up." 

"But  I  didn't  consent,"  said  Axcy  laughing,  "and  I 
won't  consent,  unless  Mr.  Waters  promises  to  help  you 
all  you  want  him  to,"  she  added,  putting  her  arm  affec- 
tionately around  Lettie. 

"Agreed!"  exclaimed  Mr.  Waters,  delightedly. 
"  Why,  District  School  No.  i  is  getting  to  be  a  full- 


88  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

fledged  normal  school.  Two-thirds  of  its  graduates  be- 
come teachers  in  their  first  year.  Tell  me  what  you 
want  me  to  do,  and  I  shall  be  very  glad  to  help  you, 
Miss  Lettie." 

Lettie  explained  that  she  hoped  he  would  speak  to 
the  members  of  the  School  Board  and  find  out  whether 
or  not  her  school  would  have  to  come  under  their  juris- 
diction, and  if  so,  what  arrangements  could  be  made  for 
a  schoolroom,  her  salary,  and  other  preliminary  mat- 
ters. If  the  district  School  Board  had  no  control,  some 
arrangements  would  have  to  be  made  with  the  people 
of  Red-Keg  themselves. 

Mr.  Waters  agreed  to  make  all  the  necessary  inqui- 
ries, and  encouraged  Lettie  to  go  ahead  and  interest 
the  parents  in  her  undertaking.  He  promised  to  help 
in  every  way  possible. 

"  I  wonder  what  Jim  Gyde  will  say  to  Axcy  helping 
Mr.  Waters  in  the  District  School.  He's  awfully  jeal- 
ous," observed  Norine,  as  the  two  girls  drove  home- 
ward. 

"Do  you  think  Mr.  Waters  is— do  you  think  he 
might — care  for  her  ? "  asked  Lettie. 

"  I  don't  know,  you  can't  tell.  He's  big,  and  strong, 
and  handsome,  and — a  gentleman,"  answered  Norine, 
absently.  Both  girls  seemed  to  be  thinking  of  some- 
thing else  more  than  the  subject  of  their  conversation. 

As  the  weeks  passed  and  everything  contributed  to 
the  advancement  of  Lettie's  enterprise,  her  own  cour- 
age waned.  The  more  certain  of  accomplishment  her 
purpose  appeared,  and  the  more  hearty  the  approval 
and  co-operation  of  her  friends  and  the  people  at  large, 
the  more  doubtful  she  became  of  her  ability  to  grapple 
with  the  task.  It  grew  more  forbidding  as  it  came 
nearer,  and  she  began  to  look  for  obstacles,  which, 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  89 

however,  did  not  turn  up.  So  many  children  were 
promised  as  candidates  that  she  was  compelled  to  rule 
out  strictly  all  who  were  able  to  go  to  the  Midland 
school.  It  was  only  an  experiment,  she  said,  and  she 
could  not  undertake  too  much  at  first. 

With  many  misgivings,  therefore,  she  set  out  for  the 
village  one  morning  in  September.  A  vacant  log-house, 
formerly  belonging  to  a  well-to-do  lumber  contractor, 
had  been  cleaned  and  fitted  up  for  the  school.  It  stood 
scarcely  a  mile  from  her  house.  Many  of  her  friends 
had  offered  to  accompany  her  and  help  her  during  the 
first  day,  but  she  feared  such  a  reenforcement  would 
be  regarded  by  her  pupils  as  an  evidence  of  her  own 
timidity  or  lack  of  sufficiency,  and  so  she  declared  her 
purpose  of  starting  alone. 

A  boisterous  crov06T  of  girls  and  boys,  some  with 
their  parents,  was  awaiting  h£irat  the  schoolhouse,  and 
set  up  a  clamor  of  welcome.  Her  heart  sank  at  sight 
of  them,  but  with  a  bright  smile  and  a  cheery  "good 
morning,  children,"  she  pushed  her  way  past  them  into 
the  schoolroom,  took  off  her  hat,  and  without  waiting 
to  consider  the  novelty  of  the  situation,  rang  the  bell 
on  her  table  to  call  the  children  together.  About  forty 
boys  and  girls,  ranging  from  six  to  fifteen  years  of  age, 
crowded  around  her.  They  were  a  noisy,  dirty,  un- 
tamed, untaught  herd.  Some  had  shoes  and  hats, 
most  had  neither  Less  than  a  third  of  them  were 
dressed  with  any  regard  to  appearances;  but  Lettie 
thought  nothing  of  this.  She  was  looking  at  the  bigger 
boys  and  girls,  and  wondering  if  she  had  not  made  it 
clear  that  they  were  not  to  be  admitted. 

"This  school  wiir  be  for  the  younger  children  only, 
at  least  this  year,"  she  announced.  "All  boys  and 
girle  who  are  over  twelve  will  have  to  leave  the  room." 


90  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

Disappointment  showed  itself  on  several  faces,  and 
a  chorus  of  protests  came  from  the  older  children ;  but 
Lettie  was  determined. 

"  I  cannot  go  on  until  you  do  as  I  ask  you  to.  You 
ought  to  go  to  Midland  to  school.  I  did  when  no 
bigger  than  you.  Perhaps  next  year — but,  no,  I  can't 
make  any  promises.  You  must  go  out  now,  that's 
certain." 

Grumblingly,  about  ten  of  the  larger  children  shuffled 
out.  They  were  not  so  anxious  to  attend  school  as 
they  were  to  gratify  their  curiosity  as  to  the  new 
school-teacher. 

"  Now  I  will  take  your  names  for  the  school  roll. 
First " 

"Mine  first!" 

"No,  mine!" 

"  Git  back !    I  goes  down  first." 

"  I'm  bigger'n  you ! " 

The  pushing  and  pulling  and  shouting  threatened 
to  result  in  a  fight  immediately.  One  little  girl  began 
to  cry  because  a  rough  boy  had  stepped  on  her  toes. 

Lettie  rang  the  bell  desperately,  and  exclaimed  in  a 
voice  which  she  tried  to  make  stern  and  commanding : 

"  Boys,  be  quiet  at  once.  I  shall  begin  the  roll  with 
the  littlest  girl,  and  end  with  the  biggest  boy.  Now 
Betty,  dear,  I  guess  you  are  the  littlest,  so  here  it 
is — Betty  Underbill — first  on  the  list.  Now,  Julia 
Fellows,  Dotty  Johnson,  Mamie  Murray,  Lu  Blakely," 
and  so  on. 

"Matt  Reon,"  she  said  suddenly,  looking  suspi- 
ciously at  the  tall  boy  who  had  first  insisted  on  having 
his  name  head  the  roll,  "  you  are  fourteen  if  you're  a 
day.  Why  did  you  stay  when  the  others  went  out  ? " 

"  I  dunno,  Miss ;  me  mother  said,  bein*  they  was  a 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  91 

school  here,  I  had  ter  come.  I  ain't  fourteen  's  I 
knows  of." 

"  Very  well,  I  will  put  your  name  down  for  the  pres- 
ent, but  you  must  behave,  or  I  can't  let  you  stay." 

"Yes'm." 

The  Whitmore  household  was  represented  by  Ray, 
Tilly,  Hank,  Tom,  Carrie,  and  Ros,  Jr.  Jake  Vogel  sent 
John,  Ida,  and  Tene.  From  Red-Keg  homes  came  also 
Andrew  and  Arch  Barrow;  Alice,  Bessie,  and  Pete 
Doane ;  Ike,  Mary,  Christy,  and  Viola  Bowe,  and  others. 

"Teacher!" 

The  grimy  hand  of  little  nine-year-old  Dotty  John- 
son appeared  above  her  frowzy  head. 

"  What  is  it,  Dotty  ? "  asked  Lettie  pleasantly. 

"  My  maw  says  as  how  you  must  give  me  four  les- 
sons a  day." 

"  We'll  see,"  said  Lettie,  continuing  with  her  roll  of 
pupils. 

The  ignorance  of  some,  the  precocity  of  others,  and 
the  general  lack  of  home  discipline  and  restraint  made 
Lettie' s  task  a  hard  one. 

Matt  Reon  was  the  proud  owner  of  a  cent  and  kept 
flipping  it  in  the  air  to  arouse  the  envy  of  the  less  fortu- 
nate boys. 

"  Put  that  in  your  pocket,  Matt,"  commanded  Lettie. 

"  Yes'm,"  said  Matt,  giving  the  cent  a  final  flip  for 
luck ;  but  the  luck  was  against  him,  and  the  cent  fell 
to  the  floor.  Instantly  the  other  boys  scrambled  for 
it,  pulling,  pushing,  and  hitting.  The  teacher's  voice 
was  drowned  in  the  frightful  din.  As  a  last  resort,  she 
rang  her  bell  sharply.  There  was  a  momentary  lull  in 
the  noise,  and  Matt  succeeded  in  snatching  his  cent 
from  the  smaller  boy  who  had  found  it. 

"Boys,  take  your  seats  this  minute  1    Matt  Reon, 


92  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

put  that  cent  here  on  my  table  until  after  school. 
Such  behavior  is  disgraceful.  I  won't  allow  it ! "  ex- 
claimed Lettie,  almost  distracted.  When  at  last  she 
was  ready  for  her  first  class,  the  sun  had  almost  reached 
its  meridian.  She  took  from  the  drawer  of  her  table  a 
carefully  prepared  order  of  exercises,  looked  it  over  a 
moment,  and  then  glanced  at  the  little  clock  on  her 
desk.  "  It's  nearly  noon,  now,"  she  said,  "  so  I  will  ex- 
cuse the  younger  children  from  their  lessons  while  I 
try  the  older  ones  in  spelling,  and  find  out  what  classes 
to  make.  Tom,  you  may  go  over  and  sit  with  your 
sister  Tilly  and  take  care  of  her.  Ike,  you  are  too  big 
a  boy  to  be  bothering  Kitty  White  like  that.  Come 
up  and  sit  on  this  seat  near  my  desk." 

About  half  of  the  pupils  were  selected  for  the  spell- 
ing class  and  arranged  around  the  wall. 

"  John  Vogel,  you  take  the  head  of  the  class ;  Hank 
Whitmore  next;  then  Kitty  White,"  and  so  on  until 
the  class  was  complete." 

"  Teacher ! "  bawled  Dotty  Johnson  again  in  defiant 
tones,  raising  her  hand  as  high  as  she  could  reach  and 
snapping  her  fingers  impatiently. 

"Well,  Dotty?" 

"  Ben't  I  goin'  ter  git  a  lesson  ?    My  maw " 

"Keep  quiet,  Dotty,  till  I  get  through  with  this 
class.  Now,  John,  you  may  spell  'bear.' " 

"  B-a-i-r,  bair,"  said  John. 

"  Next,  Hank,  you  spell  'bear.' " 

"  Don't  know  how,"  frankly  admitted  Hank. 

"  Well,  Kitty,  you  may  try." 

"  What  kind  of  bear  ? "  asked  Kitty  timidly. 

"  Bear,  an  animal." 

"  Oh,  teacher,  I  know  now ! "  exclaimed  John,  a  gleam 
of  intelligence  in  his  eyes. 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  93 

"All  right,  John,  you  may  have  another  try,"  said 
Lettie. 

«  B— a " 

"  Teacher !  My  maw  says — "  again  broke  in  the  ob- 
streperous Dotty. 

"  Dotty,  if  you  say  another  word  before  this  class  is 
through,  I  shall  have  to  punish  you.  Now,  John,  try 
again." 

"  B-a-r-r." 

"Teacher!"  both  of  Dotty's  hands  were  up  now, 
and  her  voice  indicated  outright  rebellion.  "  My  maw 
says " 

Lettie,  her  patience  sorely  tried,  started  toward  the 
frowzy  little  recalcitrant.  Before  she  could  reach  her, 
however,  the  midget  was  dodging  around  the  back  of 
the  room.  Back  and  forth  she  darted,  with  Lettie  after 
her,  until,  reaching  the  door,  she  ran  out,  her  hair 
streaming  in  the  wind  and  her  chubby  feet  making 
tracks  for  home.  The  whole  school  was  in  an  up- 
roar, and  most  of  the  pupils  rushed  out  to  see  the 
fun. 

"  Run,  Dotty,  the  teacher's  after  ye ! "  yelled  a  mis- 
chievous imp. 

"  Come  back  an'  sass  her  some  more,"  called  another. 
"  She  dassn't  hurt  ye ! " 

Nothing  more  could  be  done  that  forenoon.  Lettie 
was  tired  and  unstrung,  and  made  no  attempt  to  follow 
the  little  vixen  farther.  She  sat  down  at  her  desk  and 
gave  way  to  tears,  as  the  only  thing  left  to  do. 

"Teacher,  I'm  so  sorrow." 

Demure  little  Tilly  Whitmore,  the  only  one  who 
had  not  left  the  room  in  the  stampede,  put  her  hand 
caressingly  on  her  teacher's  arm. 

"  Don't  try,  teacher,"  she  said  with  a  sob  in  her  own 


94  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

voice.  Then,  impulsively  she  threw  her  arms  tightly 
around  the  discouraged  teacher  and  sought  to  comfort 
her. 

"  Dear  little  Tilly !  If  they  were  all  as  kind  as  you 
are  I  would  have  no  trouble ; "  and  holding  the  sweet 
little  sympathizer  closely  to  her,  she  kissed  her  ten- 
derly, while  the  tears  flowed  unrestrained. 

By  the  time  the  noon  hour  had  passed  Lettie  felt 
her  courage  returning,  and  as  the  children  came  tum- 
bling in  from  their  romp  in  response  to  her  bell,  she 
nerved  herself  for  the  afternoon's  work.  The  primer 
class  was  called  to  the  recitation  seats,  and  the  smiling 
little  faces  helped  her.  She  began  to  feel  something 
of  her  opportunity  for  moulding  these  young  lives.  In 
recognition  of  the  compact  of  sympathy  formed  during 
the  noon  recess,  little  Tilly  Whitmore  was  placed  at 
the  head  of  the  class,  and  she  held  her  green-covered 
primer  proudly  as  she  spelled  out  the  lesson  and  exhib- 
ited her  knowledge  of  the  alphabet  and  the  words 
taught  her  by  her  mother  at  home. 

"  T-h-e,  the,  c-a-t,  cat,  the  cat,  i-s,  is,  the  cat  is,  o-n, 
on,  the  cat  is  on,  t-h-e,  the,  the  cat  is  on  the,  m-a-t, 
mat,  the  cat  is  on  the  mat." 

She  looked  up,  expecting  a  word  of  approval. 

"  Say  that  agin,  an'  I'll  punch  yer  head ! "  shouted 
Arch  Barrow. 

Tilly  looked  frightened;  but  the  threat  was  not 
aimed  at  her,  for  Arch  followed  it  up  quickly  with  a 
blow  at  his  seat  companion,  without  waiting  for  him  to 
"say  it  agin."  A  rough-and-tumble  fight  began  at 
once,  and  again  the  school  was  in  an  uproar. 

Lettie  realized  that  she  must  show  more  strength 
and  authority  than  she  had  done  in  the  morning,  or  she 
would  quickly  lose  control  of  her  school.  She  caught 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  95 

her  breath  with  a  little  gasp,  and  without  a  word  stepped 
forward  and  seized  each  belligerent  by  the  ear  and 
dragged  both  boys  toward  her  desk.  Ignoring  their 
howls  and  protests  of  "  I  won't  do  it  no  more,  teacher," 
she  stood  the  offenders  with  their  faces  to  the  wall. 
After  an  hour  of  such  durance  they  very  meekly  begged 
to  be  forgiven,  and  returned  to  their  seats. 

The  primer  class  had  finished,  and  the  first-reader 
class  was  in  a  line  before  Lettie,  when  the  door  opened, 
and  in  walked  Dotty  Johnson,  as  defiant  as  in  the 
early  morning.  She  went  coolly  up  to  the  teacher 
and  handed  her  a  dirty,  crumpled  note,  meanwhile  keep- 
ing an  eye  on  the  door. 

"  Mis  greane  i  want  to  tel  yu  thet  mi  darter  Dotty 
must  hev  fore  lesuns  eech  da  an  yu  atend  to  it  an  not 
driv  her  hoam  eny  moar  onles  yu  want  to  git  liked  i 
wunt  taik  nun  ov  yer  impertens  nether  bewair.  Mrs. 
jhonson." 

Lettie  took  the  note  without  a  word,  her  face  show- 
ing at  first  a  pink  flush.  As  she  read,  a  paleness  and 
rigidity  took  its  place,  and  when  she  looked  up,  the  pu- 
pils saw  an  expression  of  austerity  and  determination 
that  surprised  and  quieted  them. 

"Dotty,"  she  said,  "do  you  wish  to  belong  to  this 
school?" 

"  My  maw  says—"  began  Dotty  retreating. 

"  I  don't  care  what  your  ma  says.  I  want  to  know 
if  you  are  coming  to  this  school,  and  intend  to  obey 
your  teacher  ? " 

"  My  maw " 

Lettie  was  too  quick  for  the  little  rebel  this  time, 
and  caught  her  in  both  arms.  The  child  screamed,  and 
kicked,  and  attempted  to  bite,  but  her  teacher  held  her 


96  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

fast  until  she  became  quiet ;  then  without  a  word  she 
drew  her  slowly  up  to  the  desk.  As  she  did  this  the 
door  was  pushed  ajar,  and  the  ugly,  mannish  features  of 
Dotty's  mother  appeared.  There  was  a  threatening 
scowl  there.  Evidently  she  had  come  with  Dotty  to 
see  that  she  did  not  receive  the  promised  punishment. 
Lettie,  fortunately,  did  not  see  the  scowling  face,  but 
she  still  held  the  note  in  her  hand.  There  was  no  dis- 
order in  the  school  now.  All  were  quiet  and  expectant. 
Dotty  was  hanging  her  head.  Her  lips  pouted,  but  she 
looked  somewhat  subdued  and  frightened.  Lettie 
looked  at  her  silently  for  a  moment.  When  she  spoke, 
her  voice  was  very  gentle. 

"  Dotty,  don't  you  want  to  be  a  nice  little  girl,  so 
people  will  love  you,  so  I  can  love  you,  too,  and  so  you 
can  be  a  help  to  me  ? " 

Without  waiting  for  a  reply,  she  twined  her  arms 
around  the  child  and  kissed  her  forehead.  This  was 
too  much,  and  the  little  girl  began  to  cry  hysterically. 
A  look  of  astonishment  spread  over  the  ugly  face  at 
the  door.  In  another  moment,  like  a  frightened  deer, 
the  woman  was  running  away  from  the  presence  of  the 
girl  who,  as  she  afterward  declared,  must  be  a  saint. 

Firmness  and  gentleness  had  won  the  day,  and  Lettie 
had  established  herself  in  the  hearts  of  her  pupils  and 
gained  their  respect,  the  first  requisite  to  cheerful  obe- 
dience. The  rest  of  the  session  passed  busily  and 
pleasantly.  Just  as  school  was  dismissed,  Ros  Whit- 
more  drove  up  in  his  farm  wagon  to  fetch  his  little 
flock.  After  a  few  hearty  words  of  congratulation  and 
compliment  on  the  completion  of  her  first  day  as  the 
prettiest  schoolmarmm  the  county,  he  smilingly  handed 
her  a  note  which  Mrs.  Johnson  had  just  given  him  and 
begged  him  to  deliver.  It  was  profuse  in  apologies. 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  97 

Lettie  read  it  with  flushed  face  and  tear-dimmed  eyes. 
Dotty  and  Tilly,  her  little  tormentor  and  her  little  com- 
forter, each  received  a  good-night  kiss.  Folding  the 
two  notes  together  she  tucked  them  safely  into  her 
reticule  as  tokens  of  her  first  school  trial  and  triumph, 
and  hastened  away  to  find  Norine. 


CHAPTER    VII. 

As  soon  as  it  became  known  that  Farmer  Hawkins 
intended  to  get  together  a  crew  of  his  own  to  cut  the 
pine  on  his  quarter-section,  so  many  of  his  friends  vol- 
unteered to  join  him  that  he  determined  to  engage  no 
strangers  at  all,  but  to  organize  the  camp  with  his 
neighbors  and  acquaintances  only.  He  resolved,  in  his 
own  mind,  also,  that  the  winter's  work  should  not  be 
all  drudgery,  but  should  be  made  pleasant  by  good-fel- 
lowship and  occasional  social  relaxation,  and  by  as  much 
physical  comfort  as  was  compatible  with  the  proper 
conduct  of  a  lumber  camp. 

The  quarter-section  of  pine  lay  to  the  westward  of 
the  farm,  between  it  and  Sturgeon  Creek,  to  which 
stream  the  logs,  if  intended  for  the  booms,  would  have 
to  be  hauled  and  then  sent  down  to  the  Tittabawassee. 
Farmer  Hawkins,  however,  had  decided  to  cut  the  logs 
into  shingles  on  the  spot  and,  after  their  weight  had 
been  reduced  by  drying,  haul  them  direct  to  the  rail- 
way at  Red-Keg.  Accordingly  he  rented  a  portable 
shingle  mill  at  Saginaw,  brought  it  up  the  river  in  sec- 
tions, and  erected  it  in  the  midst  of  his  timber.  Near 
the  mill  he  built  a  large  "  shanty  "  for  the  crew.  It 
consisted  of  two  separate  buildings  standing  some  fif- 
teen feet  apart.  For  the  walls,  instead  of  logs,  he  used 
pine-boards  set  on  end.  The  roofs  were  of  shingles. 
The  space  between  the  buildings  was  roofed  over,  but 
left  open  at  the  ends.  One  building  was  to  be  used  for 
the  camp  kitchen,  and  contained,  besides  the  cooking- 

98 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  99 

range,  shelves,  and  supplies,  two  large  board-tables, 
with  benches,  at  which  the  meals  would  be  served.  The 
other  building  was  the  men's  camp,  with  a  double  tier 
of  bunks  on  each  side,  and  in  front  of  them  a  long  bench, 
called  the  "deacon  seat."  In  the  centre  was  a  round 
stove  for  heating.  A  short  distance  from  the  shanty 
were  the  stables  and  shop  built  of  logs  with  board  roofs. 

"  Sure,  the  byes  will  be  snug  and  asy  here.  It's  a 
sight  better  nor  Green  an'  Binker's  camp  on  the  Big 
Salt  last  winter,"  said  Barney  approvingly,  as  he  in- 
spected the  completed  quarters. 

While  Farmer  Hawkins  was  nominally  boss,  he  had 
placed  upon  Barney  the  actual  duties  of  foreman,  recog- 
nizing his  more  intimate  knowledge  of  the  work  and 
his  fitness  for  aggressive  leadership  of  the  men  in  the 
ways  to  which  they  were  accustomed. 

A  fine,  jovial  crew  of  about  twenty  men  was  gath- 
ered, including  several  like  Ros  Whitmore,  Pete  Mur- 
ray, and  Bob  Landseer,  who  had  farms  or  timber  of 
their  own,  and  who  postponed  their  operations  for  the 
season  in  order  to  join  the  Hawkins  camp.  At  Pete 
Murray's  suggestion,  Jim  Gyde,  Ashbel  Fair,  and 
"  Babe  "  Strander  had  been  asked  to  join,  because  of 
their  strength  and  skill  in  handling  the  logs,  and  their 
natural  enthusiasm  for  the  work  of  the  lumber  woods. 
Jim  Gyde,  however,  for  some  unexplained  reason, 
seemed  reluctant  to  accept.  Rodney  Bedell  and  Bud 
Frazer  came  because  the  others  did.  Lon  Hawley,  an 
expert  shingle-sawyer,  whom  Barney  had  met  in  one  of 
the  mills  at  which  he  himself  had  worked  in  previous 
winters,  was  brought  from  Saginaw,  a  fact  which  showed 
that  Barney  was  free  from  jealousy  and  rather  liked 
good  wholesome  rivalry  that  made  the  blood  tingle. 
Moreover,  he  knew  his  own  powers,  and  did  not  fear 


ioo  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

that  he  would  be  bested  by  any  shingle-sawyer  in  the 
country.  Young  Grat  Vogel,  keen  for  his  first  winter 
in  the  woods  as  a  real  lumber-jack,  was  engaged  by 
Farmer  Hawkins  for  his  father's  sake,  and  for  his  own. 
Joe  Reon,  Ned  Blakely,  Dan  Underbill,  and  Arch  Fel- 
lows were  there.  "Old  Leatherback,"  a  veteran 
swamper,  had  begged  for  a  job,  and  had  brought  his 
friend  "  Red  "  Lampheer,  an  uncouth  shantyman,  from 
the  Sandytown  settlement.  The  reputation  of  the  last 
two  was  not  very  savory,  but  with  the  "wild  "  element 
so  distinctly  in  the  minority,  no  trouble  was  feared. 
As  a  matter  of  course,  Barney  had  persuaded  his  friend, 
big  Tom  Moore,  to  come  with  him.  No  company 
would  be  complete  in  Barney's  opinion  without  Tom. 
Sam  Hawkins  and  Seward  Rathaway  had  been  asked 
to  form  part  of  the  crew,  but  Sam  vetoed  the  proposi- 
tion, saying  that  he  did  not  know  the  trade  of  the  lum- 
ber-jack and  had  no  desire  to  learn.  Speaking  for 
Seward,  he  declared  that  together  they  had  other  plans 
for  the  winter.  Walt  and  Billy  had  returned  to  their 
homes,  it  is  true,  late  in  the  fall,  promising  to  come 
again  in  the  spring  and  stay  through  the  following  win- 
ter "  for  the  hunting,"  but  Sam  and  Seward  still  claimed 
to  have  interests  which  demanded  their  attention, 
though  what  these  interests  were  no  one  seemed  to 
know. 

The  crew  took  possession  of  the  camp  in  September 
and  began  at  once  making  small  roads  leading  away  in 
every  direction  through  the  timber,  but  all  focussing 
at  the  mill.  Through  these  roads  the  logs  would  be 
hauled,  or  travoyed,  to  the  long  skidways  at  the  side  of 
the  mill  where  was  located  the  drag-saw.  From  these 
skidways,  instead  of  being  loaded  upon  heavy  sleighs, 
as  would  be  the  case  if  the  logs  were  to  be  hauled  to 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  I0i 

the  river,  they  were  rolled  upon  the  "  carriage  "  which 
ran  under  the  drag-saw.  Here  they  were  cut  into 
proper  shingle  length  of  sixteen  or  eighteen  inches. 
These  short  sections  of  logs  were  called  bolts. 

The  first  fall  of  snow  in  November  found  the  roads 
finished,  the  ground  frozen  hard,  and  Hawkins's  camp 
ready  for  an  aggressive  attack  upon  the  forest. 

"  Be  up  wid  ye,  byes !  She's  here ! "  cried  Barney, 
as  he  burst  into  the  men's  camp  at  four  o'clock  one 
morning  and  stamped  the  snow  from  his  legs.  "  Now, 
be  the  powers  o'  smoke,  we'll  be  makin*  her  hum ! " 

In  an  instant  the  camp  was  alive  with  noise  and  ac- 
tion. Voiceful  yawns,  grunts,  snarls  at  the  cold,  crisp 
oaths,  the  kicking  on  of  frozen  boots,  the  swashing  of 
water,  the  slamming  to  and  fro  of  the  door,  and  then 
the  welcome  call  from  the  kitchen,  "  Brekfus  ready ! " 

Pell-mell  for  the  other  part  of  the  shanty  rushed  the 
crew,  stumbling  through  a  huge  drift  of  snow  which 
lay  between. 

"  Gee !  she's  snowin'  yet,  fit  ter  bury  the  lot  of  us ! " 
grumbled  Babe  Strander,  wallowing  up  to  his  hips  in 
the  fluffy  mass. 

"  Colder  'n  seventeen  devils ! "  exclaimed  Grat  Vogel, 
as  the  sharp  wind  howled  through  the  clearing,  driving 
a  cloud  of  fine  white  flakes  within. 

"Yer  right  there,  bub,"  observed  Ros  Whitmore 
with  a  laugh.  "Devils  is  usially  hot,  'cordin'  ter  my 
knowledge." 

Into  the  cook's  den  they  tumbled,  chaffing,  scolding, 
laughing.  The  two  long  clothless  tables  were  fairly 
splendid  in  the  light  of  the  lamps,  with  rows  of  bright 
new  tin  plates,  each  guarded  on  the  right  flank  by  a 
deep  basin,  or  dipper,  filled  with  a  steaming  fluid  that 
appeared  as  if  it  might  have  been  dipped  from  the 


102  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

Black  Sea.  Piles  of  bread,  white  and  brown ;  pyramids 
of  potatoes,  "  biled  with  their  clothes  on,"  and  sending 
up  their  quota  of  fragrant  steam ;  great  yellow  hunks 
of  butter ;  fried  pork,  swimming  in  its  own  fat ;  black 
molasses ;  various  table  utensils  of  the  strictly  useful 
rather  than  ornamental  class,  and  last  but  not  least,  at 
each  end,  beans  in  the  original  packages,  that  is  to  say, 
in  the  kettles  in  which  they  were  baked. 

"  Pitch  in,  boys ! "  cried  Reon,  the  cook.  "  They's 
chuck  a  plenty  for  all,  sech  as  'tis,  an'  it's  good  'nuf  fer 
anybody  whut  they  is  of  it." 

With  this  statement  all  hands  agreed,  and  "  fell  to  " 
with  the  beautiful  and  primitive  simplicity  and  eager- 
ness which  mark  the  banqueting  of  half-famished 
wolves.  No  grace  was  said.  The  minister  was  not 
there.  These  men  had  their  share  of  his  ministrations 
during  the  summer.  He  felt  called  to  other  camps 
where,  as  at  no  other  time,  he  would  have  opportunity 
to  get  hold  of  the  roving  lumber-jacks.  Once  or  twice 
during  the  winter  he  would  visit  Hawkins's  camp  out 
of  regard  to  his  friends  there  employed.  Even  Farmer 
Hawkins  could  not  get  down  from  the  farm  every  day. 
Breakfast  thus  proceeded  without  any  polite  ceremony. 
It  does  not  take  a  very  long  time  for  twenty  stalwart 
and  hearty  men  to  consume  a  handsome  quantity  of 
"  chuck."  Meal-time  never  fails  of  a  welcome.  Farmer 
Hawkins  had  provided  a  liberal  supply  of  good  things, 
and  his  neighbors  and  helpers  always  did  it  ample  jus- 
tice. 

"What  say,  Barney?"  asked  Ros.  "Is  this  here 
goin*  ter  keep  up  all  day  ? " 

"  It's  meself  would  like  to  know,"  replied  Barney. 
"Be  the  way  she's  comin*  now,  we'll  be  nadin'  the 
plough,  if  it  lasts  the  day  out." 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  I03 

"  It's  a  roughish  storm  to  work  in ;  but  we've  all  seen 
wus,  an'  likely  to  again  afore  we  git  this  here  pine  all 
cut  into  shingles,"  remarked  Bob  Landseer. 

"  Please  pass  them  beans,  an'  never  mind  the  storm ; 
I  guess  we  uns  isn't  sugar  nor  salt,"  called  Ned  Blakely 
from  the  middle  of  the  table. 

•'  More  wash,  cookee,"  demanded  Underbill,  passing 
his  basin  to  the  cook's  assistant  for  another  filling  of 
hot  black  tea. 

"Ain't  yer  hash-traps  full  yet ? "  exclaimed  Reon  the 
cook,  after  he  and  his  assistant,  the  cookee,  had  been 
flying  about  like  veritable  "  devil's  darning-needles  "  for 
what  seemed  to  him  as  long  a  time  as  ought  to  suffice 
to  satisfy  the  most  voracious  appetites. 

Heedless  of  the  cook's  impatience,  the  scene  of  gor- 
mandizing went  on  until  the  inner  man  cried  "  hold ! 
enough ! "  Then  the  teamsters,  the  choppers,  the  saw- 
yers, the  swampers,  and  the  loaders,  arming  themselves 
with  their  appropriate  implements, — chains,  axes,  pea- 
vies,  cant-hooks,  etc., — pushed  boldly  out  into  the 
whirling,  driving  storm,  all  bustling  and  hastening,  as 
was  their  wont,  to  see  who  should  accomplish  the  great- 
est amount  of  work  for  the  day.  There  were  three 
teams  of  horses,  and  a  separate  crew  for  each,  each  with 
its  complement  of  men  for  the  various  kinds  of  work. 
The  mill  would  not  start  up  until  the  skidways  were 
filled,  so  the  entire  force  of  men  was  first  set  to  work 
felling  the  trees,  cutting  them  into  lengths,  and  hauling 
the  logs  to  the  skidways.  Thus  they  began  in  earnest 
to  devour  Farmer  Hawkins's  pine  forest. 

Another  week  passed,  and  the  mill  was  going  in  full 
blast.  The  weather  was  clear  and  cold.  A  steady 
stream  of  logs  to  the  skidways  kept  the  mill  supplied. 
Barney  had  transferred  to  Tom  Moore  his  duties  as 


104  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

foreman,  in  order  that  he  might  devote  his  time  to  his 
specialty  as  shingle-sawyer.  He  and  Lon  Hawley 
worked  side  by  side,  and  kept  their  saws  hot,  with  a 
good-natured,  though  none  the  less  keen,  rivalry  for 
the  lead  in  numbers  of  shingles  completed  in  a  day. 
First  one  and  then  the  other  would  show  a  winning 
score,  but  the  margin  was  slight.  The  rivalry  became 
contagious,  and  the  men  of  the  outside  crews  soon 
caught  it  and  dropped  in  between  trips  to  learn  how 
the  race  stood.  Partisanship  developed.  Each  man 
had  his  backers,  though,  of  course,  Barney,  who  was 
well  known  and  immensely  popular,  received  by  far  the 
most  general  support.  The  Midland  contingent,  for 
once,  was  divided,  Ashbel  Fair  and  "  Babe  "  Strander 
rooting  for  Barney,  while  Rodney  Bedell  and  Bud 
Frazer  declared  for  Lon.  Jim  Gyde  was  watchful  but 
silent  and  non-committal.  Ned  Blakely  and  Arch  Fel- 
lows favored  the  lean,  long-limbed  Yankee.  Most  of 
the  others,  with  the  possible  exception  of  Old  Leather- 
back  and  Red  Lampheer,  who  appeared  to  take  no  in- 
terest in  the  matter,  stuck  by  the  no  less  lanky  and 
agile  Irishman.  Curiously  enough,  neither  of  the  real 
contestants  seemed  to  care  whether  his  superiority  was 
believed  in  by  the  crew  at  large  or  not.  Their  whole 
attention  was  bent  upon  their  work  and  the  effort  of 
each  to  demonstrate  to  the  other  his  own  unbeatable 
speed. 

Finally  the  interest  became  so  acute  that  some  one 
suggested  a  match  to  settle  the  question  of  superiority 
definitely.  The  idea  found  immediate  favor.  The  day 
before  Thanksgiving  was  selected,  and  an  extra  holiday 
for  all  hands  except  those  necessary  to  run  the  mill  was 
declared.  The  mill  was  cleared  of  all  rubbish.  The 
skidways  were  filled  with  the  best  logs  obtainable. 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  105 

The  tramway  was  examined  and  put  in  good  running 
order.  The  fireman  had  placed  ready  to  his  hand  an 
extra  supply  of  well-dried  spalts  and  edgings  to  keep  a 
full  head  of  steam  all  day.  His  machinery  was  all  clean, 
oiled,  and  inspected ;  the  belts  made  taut ;  the  drag- 
saw  and  shingle-saws  newly  filed  and  "gummed,"  that 
is,  the  spaces  between  the  teeth  made  deeper,  to  allow 
free  play  for  the  sawdust 

News  of  the  match  spread  throughout  the  surround- 
ing country,  and  visitors  from  other  camps  and  mills 
secured  leave  of  absence,  that  they  might  witness  the 
contest  between  two  of  the  fastest  sawyers  in  the  whole 
region.  Even  the  women,  taking  advantage  of  a  clear 
crisp  day,  came  out  to  the  mill  and  brought  extra  sup- 
plies of  good  things  for  the  boys  to  eat.  Sam  Hawkins 
and  Seward  Rathaway  yielded  also  to  the  general  ex- 
citement, and  found  their  way  to  the  seat  of  battle.  A 
certain  hope,  strong  in  Sam's  breast,  led  him,  more 
than  anything  else,  to  see  the  match. 

The  evolution  of  a  pine  shingle  is  a  simple  and  rapid 
process,  fraught  with  dangers  to  fingers  and  hands  in 
proportion  to  the  speed  attempted.  The  rough  pine-log 
passes  under  the  drag-saw,  is  cut  into  shingle-lengths, 
or  bolts.  A  bolt  is  seized  the  instant  it  drops  from  the 
saw  by  an  axman,  who  sets  it  on  end  and  with  a  few 
quick  strokes  of  his  axe  deftly  removes  the  adhering 
bark  and  "  sap,"  that  outer  portion  of  the  wood  through 
which  the  sap  or  pitch  of  the  tree  runs,  and  which  is 
worthless  for  lumber  or  shingles  of  the  better  grades. 
He  then  splits  the  bolt  into  halves  or  quarters  accord- 
ing to  the  diameter  of  the  log,  often  leaving  small  bolts 
whole,  and  tosses  the  clean  shingle  bolts  to  the  sawyers, 
by  whom  they  are  placed  upright  in  the  sawing  machine. 
There  they  are  held  in  place  by  spiked  rollers  above 


106  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

and  below,  are  rapidly  slipped  back  and  forth  with  an 
alternating  slant  to  right  and  left,  and  thus  are  sliced 
into  rough  shingles,  thick  at  one  end  and  thin  at  the 
other,  with  jagged  edges,  corresponding  with  the  split 
sides  of  the  bolt.  As  these  shingles  fall  from  the  saw, 
they  are  picked  up  by  the  man  who  runs  the  "  edger," 
a  large  revolving  disc  with  keen,  chisel-like  knives,  like 
those  of  a  plane,  radiating  from  the  centre  on  its  inner 
surface.  The  shingles  are  slid  along  a  table  into  a  slot 
where  the  edges  press  against  the  revolving  disc  and 
the  knives  remove  with  lightning  rapidity  all  rough  or 
uneven  edges.  The  shingles  are  then  tossed  to  another 
man,  the  "packer,"  who  places  them  into  the  packing- 
machine,  where  they  are  made  up  into  bunches  ready 
to  be  stored  away  in  the  drying-house.  By  this  last 
process  the  weight  of  a  bundle  of  shingles  is  reduced 
nearly  one-half. 

The  most  expert  edgers  and  packers  had  been  secured 
to  assist  at  the  match,  for  the  double  purpose  of  taking 
care  of  the  shingles  promptly,  as  they  fell  from  the  two 
saws,  and  to  insure  against  accidents  which  often  re- 
sulted from  an  effort  to  speed  when  the  skill  was  not 
equal  to  the  test. 

The  sound  of  the  whistle  had  scarcely  died  away  at 
six  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  the  day  of  the  match, 
when  the  wheels  in  the  mill  began  to  move ;  the  first 
log,  specially  selected  with  a  view  to  making  good  bolts 
for  the  start,  was  rolled  upon  the  carriage,  and  before 
the  drag-saw  had  fairly  gained  its  momentum,  was  in 
place  for  the  first  cut.  The  log  was  made  fast ;  the 
saw  descended,  and,  with  a  shout,  the  first  bolt  was 
rolled  to  the  axman. 

"  That's  a  darlin' ! "  exclaimed  Tom  Moore,  the  mas- 
ter of  the  axe,  as  he  clipped  off  the  sap,  cleft  the  bolt 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  107 

into  even  quarters,  and  let  them  fall  all  together  at  the 
hands  of  the  rival  sawyers. 

Barney  and  Lon  each  grabbed  a  section  at  the  same 
instant,  and  in  the  wink  of  an  eye  the  sharp  "  ping  "  of 
the  saws  was  heard  as  they  bit  into  the  live  wood.  The 
tone  deepened  into  a  hum,  then  ended  with  a  "  zipp  " 
as  the  first  two  shingles  dropped  off.  Instantly  the 
same  note  was  repeated — over  and  over  again,  with 
hardly  long  enough  intervals  to  mark  them  as  separate- 
sounds.  In  a  steady  stream  the  shingles  fell  upon  the 
edger's  scaffold. 

Chip,  chuck,  chur-r-r-r,  went  the  edger,  as,  with  a  flip 
and  a  flop,  first  one  edge  of  the  shingle  and  then  the 
other  was  pushed  against  the  sharp  chisel-bits. 

"  Who  won  first  blood  ? "  yelled  Jaky  Strander,  mean- 
ing the  first  shingle  to  the  edgers. 

"  Both  kem  together ;  no  advantage,"  announced  Ros 
Whitmore,  who  watched  at  that  point. 

Sawdust  and  edgings  began  to  fly  at  a  lively  rate. 
Full  steam  was  up  at  last,  and  the  match  was  on  in 
earnest. 

According  to  the  rules  adopted,  only  number  one 
shingles,  without  "  shake  "  or  sap,  were  to  count  in  the 
score,  the  narrowest  shingle  of  this  class  being  six 
inches  in  width.  This  required  good  judgment  in  get- 
ting the  bolts  to  the  saw,  a  bolt  under  one  management 
often  producing  several  more  shingles  of  the  first  class 
than  it  would  yield  if  first  set  to  the  saw  some  other 
way. 

Few  visitors  had  arrived  so  early  in  the  morning,  but 
Farmer  Hawkins  had  made  it  a  point  to  come  for  the 
very  beginning  of  the  match.  The  other  men  of  the 
crew  who  were  not  needed  for  the  actual  mill-work 
found  places  of  vantage  and  spurred  the  two  sawyers 


io8  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

on  with  encouraging  shouts  and  scraps  of  advice,  or 
engaged  in  speculations  as  to  the  outcome. 

Both  men  seemed  to  be  putting  in  their  best  work, 
yet  as  the  morning  advanced  Lon  Hawley  was  seen  to 
be  forging  steadily  ahead.  His  lightning-like  move- 
ments, his  flashing  eye,  and  his  strict  attention  to  busi- 
ness resulted  in  a  gain  that  grew  alarming  to  Barney's 
friends,  as  Ros  Whitmore  marked  the  tally  from  time 
to  time  on  a  large  board.  Barney  appeared  to  pay  no 
attention  to  the  score,  but  chaffed  good-naturedly  now 
and  then  with  his  partisans. 

"  Tech  her  up,  Barney ;  yer  runnin'  a  bit  slack,  ain't 
ye  ? "  urged  Tom  Moore,  after  an  hour  or  so  waiting  to 
see  whether  Barney  would  try  to  cut  down  his  rival's 
lead. 

"  Sure,  it's  asy  I  am  in  mind  an'  body,"  said  Bar- 
ney. "  Ye'll  have  no  nade  to  worry  before  the  day  is 
inded.5' 

But  Tom  continued  to  worry.  He  could  not  bear  to 
see  his  friend  dropping  behind. 

"  Keep  it  up ;  you're  a  winner,  Lon ! "  cried  Rodney 
Bedell,  who  with  Sam  Hawkins  and  Seward  Rathaway 
stood  near  the  Yankee's  machine.  Sam  made  no  effort 
to  conceal  his  pleasure,  but  said  nothing. 

The  stack  of  bundles  was  growing  to  considerable 
proportions,  and  orders  were  given  to  take  them  at 
once  to  the  drying-house  and  thus  make  more  room  for 
visitors  who  were  constantly  arriving.  Lon  was  work- 
ing at  top  speed,  excited  by  his  own  lead  and  deter- 
mined to  maintain  it.  The  edgers  and  packers  were 
compelled  to  strain  every  nerve  to  handle  the  flood  of 
shingles. 

"Bedad!  but  they're  the  fast  sawyers,"  exclaimed 
Pete  Murray  to  a  newcomer. 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  109 

44  One  of  them  is,"  sneered  Sam,  indicating  which  one 
by  a  jerk  of  his  thumb. 

A  gleam  crept  into  the  eyes  of  Barney  O'Boyle,  but 
he  gave  no  other  sign  that  he  had  overheard  the  remark. 

"Come,  Barney,  quit  playin'  with  'im,  an*  pull  out; 
show  yer  friends  what  ye  can  do."  Bob  Landseer's 
voice  betrayed  real  concern 

Barney  allowed  his  eyes  to  rest  quizzically  on  his 
friend's  face  for  the  briefest  fraction  of  a  second, 
then  he  went  on  with  his  work,  cool  and  collected  as 
before. 

"  Time  enough,  Bob,"  he  said 

Dinner  hour  approached  The  relative  positions  of 
the  contestants  remained  the  same  The  whistle  blew, 
and  the  saws  stopped.  Ros  Whitmore  announced  that 
Lon  Hawley  was  a  whole  bundle,  a  quarter  thousand 
shingles,  in  the  lead.  Barney's  smile  vanished.  The 
lead  was  larger  than  he  thought.  At  that  moment, 
glancing  about  the  crowd  of  spectators,  he  saw  Norine 
Maloney  standing  near  the  door.  She  smiled,  but 
looked  disappointed.  Barney's  eyes  glistened,  his  jaws 
set  firmly,  and  with  erect  figure  and  elastic  step  he 
walked  out  of  the  mill  toward  the  shanty. 

"  What's  ailin'  ye,  me  boy  ? "  asked  Pete  Murray,  as 
he  and  Tom  Moore  hastened  after  Barney.  "Sure, 
there's  no  sawyer  in  the  State  would  be  runnin'  away 
from  ye  with  a  bundle  o*  shingles  before  dinner  if  ye 
were  feelin*  loike  yersilf." 

The  smile  came  back  to  Barney's  face 

"Would  ye  mind  puttin'  your  hand  there  a  bit;  an' 
there?" 

Tom  felt  of  his  friend's  forehead  and  wrists,  and  ex- 
claimed : 

"Cool  es  a  cowcumber,  an'  not  a  drop  of  sweat  1" 


no  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

"  See  any  shakin'  ? "  asked  Barney  again,  as  he 
stretched  out  his  arm  and  held  it  rigid. 

"  Nary  a  shake,"  said  Tom. 

"  Now  ye  might  go  look  at  Lon ;  an'  don't  be  after 
worryin'  yourselves  grayheaded  fer  what  ain't  loikly  to 
happen." 

"  Two  extra  tables  were  spread  for  dinner  in  the  men's 
camp,  to  accommodate  the  crowd  of  visitors.  Excite- 
ment over  the  match  ran  high,  but  did  not  dull  the 
appetites.  Barney's  friends  were  puzzled  at  his  poor 
showing,  and  could  only  hope  that  he  had  greater  things 
in  reserve.  Farmer  Hawkins,  when  appealed  to,  de< 
clared  Barney  would  come  out  all  right,  he  felt  sure. 
On  the  other  hand,  the  partisans  of  Lon  were  jubilant, 
confident,  and  boastful.  Lon  himself  was  in  high 
feather  and  declared  he  would  certainly  gain  another 
bundle  during  the  afternoon.  He  admitted  that  he  had 
"  put  in  his  best  licks  "  from  the  start,  and  was  glad  of 
a  resting  spell ;  but  he  explained  that  everything  de- 
pended upon  gaining  a  commanding  lead  early  in  the 
game.  "  It  sorter  puts  the  other  feller  under  a  handi- 
cap, an*  takes  the  nerve  out'n  him,"  he  said. 

Jaky  Strander  had  something  on  his  mind,  and  it 
made  him  fidget  until  he  got  it  off - 

"  Guess  I'll  bet  five  on  Lon  ter  win  this  'ere  match," 
he  said,  taking  care  that  Barney  should  not  hear  him. 

"  Thought  ye  were  for  Barney,"  said  Tom  Moore,  in 
surprise. 

"Yes,  thet's  right;  my  feelin's  is  with  the  under 
dog,  but  my  money's  on  the  top  one.  Any  feller 
want  it  ? " 

No  one  seemed  in  a  hurry  to  cover  the  bet,  and 
"  Babe  "  laughed  jeeringly. 

"  Lon's  got  ye  all  scared ;  looks  like  a  sure  thing. 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  in 

Gee!  ef  Barney  ain't  got  a  backer,  guess  I'll  hev  ter 
bet  th'  other  way." 

"  Give  Ros  yer  money,  ef  yer  so  anxious  ter  lose  it ; 
here's  five  ter  cover  it,"  said  Tom;  and  each  man  wrote 
on  a  bit  of  paper  his  I.  O.  U.,  and  deposited  it  with 
Ros  Whitmore. 

Sam  had  been  watching  the  transaction  with  flushed 
cheeks.  It  was  exactly  what  he  wanted  to  do  himself, 
but  he  had  hesitated  to  take  the  initiative.  Now,  how- 
ever, waiting  only  until  his  father  was  away  at  the  other 
part  of  the  shanty  in  his  capacity  as  host,  he  pulled  out 
two  ten-dollar  greenbacks,  and  exclaimed  loudly : 

"  Here's  twenty,  spot  cash,  on  Lon, — that  is,  if  any  of 
you  is  foolish  enough  to  bet  against  a  sure  winner."  The 
last  words  were  spoken  with  an  unmistakable  sneer. 

Astonishment  showed  itself  on  all  faces.  Barney 
heard,  but  quickly  turned  away.  Norine  also  heard 
and  gave  a  little  sniff  of  indignation. 

"How'd  he  come  by  twenty  dollars — greenbacks, 
too  ? "  whispered  Bob  Landseer  to  Dan  Underbill,  who 
sat  near  him. 

44  Not  by  workin',  I'll  venture  Mought  o'  borried  it 
from  them  city  chaps  who  spent  the  summer  here," 
speculated  Dan. 

Pete  Murray  spoke  up  promptly : 

"  Is  it  twenty  dollars  an'  no  more  ye  want  ? "  he  asked. 

44  Why,  I  thought  twenty  was  about  right,  don't  you 
know,"  replied  Sam,  a  little  flustered. 

44  Ye'll  not  be  after  makin'  it  forty,  maybe  ? "  persisted 
Murray. 

"Well,  no;  to  tell  the  truth,  twenty  is  about  my 
limit  just  now,"  said  Sam,  still  more  nervous  because 
of  the  other's  calm  assurance. 

44  Right  ye  are.    Jes'  pass  up  the  green  ter  Ros  fer 


ii2  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

safe  houldin*.  Here's  what'll  kape  it  from  bein*  lone- 
some." 

The  wagers  added  fuel  to  the  excitement,  and  all 
were  eager  for  the  struggle  to  be  resumed.  Before  the 
noon  hour  was  over  the  mill  was  crowded,  and  those 
who  could  not  get  in  waited  around  the  door  until  some 
of  the  spectators  should  come  out  and  give  them  a  turn. 
Lon  stood  at  his  machine  with  a  smile  of  confidence, 
and  acknowledged  the  congratulations  and  admonitions 
of  his  party  while  waiting  for  the  whistle  to  blow. 
Barney  pushed  through  the  crowd  at  the  last  moment 
and  paid  no  attention  to  the  great  cheer  of  welcome 
and  encouragement  that  greeted  him.  He  reached  his 
place  just  as  the  whistle  blew. 

The  machines  had  been  set  in  motion  a  few  moments 
before  the  blowing  of  the  whistle,  so  that  no  time  need 
be  lost.  Both  men  began  at  once  rushing  the  bolts 
through.  Tom  Moore  wielded  his  axe  with  fury  and 
precision  to  keep  a  pile  of  bolts  ready.  The  drag-sawyer 
called  for  an  additional  helper.  The  watchers  looked 
eagerly  to  note  the  first  sign  of  any  change  in  the  score. 

"  Barney's  gainin' ! "  yelled  Grat  Vogel,  of  a  sudden, 
trying  to  jump  into  the  air. 

"  Shet  up !  He  ain't ;  Lon's  got  him  beat,"  said  Ned 
Blakely,  crowding  in  front  of  the  boy. 

But  Barney  was  gaining,  and  the  first  bulletin  exhib- 
ited by  Ros  Whitmore  showed  that  the  margin  between 
the  contestants  had  narrowed  considerably.  With  cool- 
ness and  good  judgment  he  picked  up  the  bolts  invari- 
ably with  the  best  side  ready,  and  before  they  were 
fixed  on  the  rollers  the  carriage  was  in  motion.  Every 
bolt  was  made  to  yield  its  utmost  of  No.  I  shingles. 
His  speed  seemed  to  increase  steadily  as  the  hours 
passed. 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  n3 

A  shudder  went  over  the  spectators  as  the  murder- 
ous  teeth  of  the  whirring  saw  caught  his  smock  and 
ripped  the  sleeve.  Barney  did  not  even  withdraw 
his  hand,  but  went  on  with  his  work  as  if  nothing  had 
happened. 

Near  him  Lon  was  working  like  a  madman.  The 
same  driving  speed  of  the  morning  was  maintained. 
He  fairly  hurled  the  bolts  through  his  machine.  Bar- 
ney's coolness  worked  on  him  like  a  constant  irri- 
tant. He  saw  his  margin  of  lead  slipping  from  him, 
and  was  determined  to  keep  it.  His  power  was  being 
exerted  to  the  extreme  limit,  but  the  strain  of  the  long 
forenoon  was  beginning  to  tell.  He  began  to  show 
nervousness,  and  to  cut  too  many  narrow  shingles. 

The  weather  grew  colder  as  the  afternoon  waned. 
Steam  was  harder  to  make,  and  the  fireman  called  for 
assistance.  The  crowd  of  onlookers  shifted  uneasily, 
unwilling  to  lose  sight  of  the  exciting  match,  yet  unable 
to  endure  quietly  the  piercing  cold.  The  shingle-mill 
afforded  no  more  shelter  than  a  thin  roof,  and  a  single 
thickness  of  boards  stood  on  end  for  walls.  Yet  in 
spite  of  the  snapping  frost,  the  workers  now  all  per- 
spired as  freely  as  in  July ;  and  the  men  spectators,  first 
in  one  position  and  then  in  another,  stuck  doggedly  to 
the  mill,  or  made  brief  visits  to  the  cook's  den  or  the 
men's  camp  to  get  thawed  out.  The  women  made 
their  headquarters  in  the  cook's  shanty,  and  received 
news  at  intervals,  or  ran  over  to  the  mill  for  a  brief 
sight  of  the  contest. 

As  the  last  hour  drew  near,  the  cold  was  almost  for- 
gotten in  the  tingle  of  excitement.  The  fire  under  the 
boiler  cracked  and  roared  under  forced  draught.  As 
the  steam  came  up,  part  of  it  would  blow  off. 

"Jump  onter  thet  'ere  safety-valve,  and  hold  her 


114  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

down ! "  yelled  Lon,  as  he  heard  the  escaping  steam. 
"  We  want  every  bit  o'  power  in  the  boiler."  Without 
looking  to  see  whether  his  demand  was  complied  with 
he  bent  still  more  furiously  to  his  work. 

"Babe"  Strander  quickly  planted  his  great  bulk 
astride  the  offending  valve.  Higher  and  higher  rose 
the  steam.  Faster  and  faster  dropped  the  shingles  on 
the  edgers*  scaffold.  The  machinery  was  rushing  at  a 
terrific  rate. 

"  Look  out !  She'll  bust ! "  cried  Ros ;  but  nobody 
"looked  out." 

Just  then  a  bulletin  went  up. 

"Tied,  by  thunder! "  yelled  Ashbel  Fair. 

The  shout  from  the  crowd  drowned  the  noise  of  the 
machines  for  an  instant.  Lon  swore  a  fierce  oath,  and 
with  fire  in  his  eye  grabbed  a  bolt. 

Barney  gave  no  heed  to  the  cheers.  He  was  looking 
anxiously  at  his  machine.  It  seemed  to  be  losing 
speed.  Soon  the  saw  stopped  altogether.  The  arbor 
had  become  choked  with  gum,  ice,  and  sawdust.  Only 
an  instant  was  needed  to  discover  the  mischief,  and 
only  a  few  moments  to  clean  away  the  dirt ;  but  these 
few  moments  were  precious,  as  the  other  saw  was 
whirring  spitefully  on,  and  Lon  was  regaining  the  lead. 
With  the  stoppage  of  Barney's  saw,  the  belt  had  been 
thrown  and  had  to  be  replaced.  Fully  ten  minutes 
were  lost. 

Barney's  blood  was  up  at  last,  and  he  let  out  the  last 
wrap,  as  he  faced  the  task  of  regaining  in  an  hour's 
time  the  loss  of  ten  minutes,  besides  the  necessary 
margin  for  winning.  He  had  saved  his  strength  during 
the  early  hours,  and  had  gauged  that  of  his  opponent, 
but  had  not  looked  for  so  severe  a  finish.  A  stoppage 
of  Lon's  saw  with  the  accumulation  of  the  day's  gum 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  115 

and  dirt  put  them  on  even  terms  again.  Then  the 
race  waxed  hotter. 

"  Cut  yer  gov'ner  belt ! "  shouted  Fellows  to  the  en- 
gineer. The  latter,  without  a  moment's  hesitation, 
whipped  out  a  big  knife,  and  with  one  slash  severed  the 
belt.  The  loosely  built  mill  seemed  like  to  fall  to  pieces 
over  their  heads. 

"I  can't  stand  this  much  longer,"  wailed  "Babe," 
from  his  hot  seat  on  the  safety  valve,  his  face  red  as  a 
boiled  lobster. 

"  Cawn't  ye  ? "  cried  Lon.  "  Move  one  pound  offn 
thet  valve,  an*  I'll  make  jelly  of  ye ! " 

Round  and  round  flew  the  shafting.  Again  Barney, 
who  had  forced  himself  into  the  lead,  was  put  out  of  it 
by  an  exasperating  delay.  A  squeak,  another,  another ; 
then  a  smell  of  burning  oil  and  sawdust  gave  notice 
that  a  hot  journal  must  be  attended  to. 

"  For  the  love  of  hiven !  grab  some  snow,  quick ! " 
called  Barney,  and  a  dozen  hands  obeyed. 

The  cooling  was  the  matter  of  a  moment ;  but  the 
oil-cup  had  to  be  cleaned  and  refilled  with  oil,  before 
the  machine  was  again  in  commission.  Lon  was  a 
score  of  shingles  ahead. 

"  Half  an  hour  more ! "  cried  Ros. 

"  Hit  'er  up,  Barney ! " 

"  Keep  yer  nose  in  front,  Lon ! " 

"You  kin  ketch  'im  yet,  Barney!' 

"  Yer  a  winner,  Lon ! " 

"  Five  on  Barney ! " 

"  Five  here,  on  the  winner ! " 

Everybody  was  shouting,  and  nobody  paid  attention 
to  any  one  else.  The  two  men  were  straining  every 
nerve.  The  machinery,  with  no  governors  to  check  it, 
was  racing  madly.  Still  the  fireman  piled  dry  spalts 


Ii6  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

and  edgings  into  the  furnace.  "Babe"  Strander 
squirmed  in  agony,  but  clung  to  the  safety  valve. 

"  Five  minutes  to  six ! "  said  Ros,  consulting  the  en- 
gineer's clock. 

The  bedlam  of  voices  suddenly  ceased.  All  were  too 
excited  to  talk.  A  new  log  rolled  upon  the  carriage. 
The  bolts  fell  one  by  one.  Tom  Moore  caught  the  first, 
denuded  it,  and  laid  it  in  quarters  just  in  time  for  the 
sawyer. 

"  Yer  journal's  hot,  Lon ! "  exclaimed  Blakely,  but 
Lon  paid  no  heed,  as  he  reached  for  one  of  the  new 
quarters. 

"  Don't  ye  see  'er  burnin'  ? "  insisted  Ned. 

"  Let  'er  burn  and  be " 

"  Ping !  r-r-r-r-r-zip ! " 

Not  Lon's,  but  Barney's  saw  gave  forth  the  startling 
sound.  A  villanous  pine  knot  lurked  in  his  bolt,  and 
every  tooth  of  his  saw  succumbed  in  the  contact. 

A  groan  of  dismay ;  a  half -suppressed  shout  of  exul- 
tation ;  then  a  flash,  and  a  wail  like  a  demon  spirit. 
Lon's  saw  turned  a  cherry  red,  and  clogged  itself  in  the 
"  shaky "  ice-  and  gum-filled  bolt  he  had  just  picked 
up.  Both  saws  were  out  of  the  race  and  the  shrieking 
of  the  six  o'clock  whistle  drowned  all  other  sounds. 

"Lon  wins!" 

"  How  so  ?     Barney's  ahead." 

"  No,  Lon." 

"What  say,  Ros?" 

"  Wall,  Barney  he's  a  full  dozen  shingles  to  the  good. 
I  reckon  he  must  be  the  winner,"  declared  Ros. 

Then,  in  the  midst  of  the  shouting  and  cheers,  Bar- 
ney grasped  Lon  by  the  hand  and  threw  his  left  arm 
around  his  antagonist's  shoulders  in  a  brotherly  em- 
brace. 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  u7 

"Bedad,  yer  the  foinest  sawyer  I've  set  me  two  eyes 
on ;  an'  ye  gave  me  such  a  rub,  I  thought  I  was  licked. 
It's  proud  I  am  of  ye." 

The  hearty  sincerity  in  Barney's  tone  went  far  to 
take  the  sting  out  of  the  defeat,  and  Lon  roused  him- 
self to  take  his  beating  manfully. 

"  Guess  I'll  hev  ter  own  up  ter  being  licked  fair  an' 
square  by  a  better  man,"  he  said,  returning  Barney's 
grasp. 

Sam  Hawkins  was  trying  to  sneak  off  unobserved  to 
hide  his  chagrin  and  disappointment ;  but  Pete  Murray 
and  Ros  Whitmore  stopped  him.  "  Here's  yer  twenty, 
Sam.  Pete,  here,  says  he  has  no  thought  o'  keepin'  it," 
and  he  thrust  the  two  bills  into  Sam's  hand. 

"  Not  keep  it !  Why— he  won  it— didn't  he  ? "  ex- 
claimed  Sam,  in  surprise. 

"  Sure,  I'll  not  be  takin'  money  I've  not  earned,  from 
the  son  of  me  friend  Hawkins,"  said  Murray.  Then 
he  added,  "  I  made  quick  to  take  yer  bet  to  kape  it 
from  fallin'  into  the  hands  of  some  one  who  might  not 
fale  the  same  way." 

Sam  sheepishly  pocketed  the  money  and  hurried 
away.  Tom  Moore  was  not  so  soft-hearted  and  felt  no 
hesitation  in  taking  "  Babe's  "  money. 

"  Tain't  safe  to  bank  too  heavy  on  the  top  dog  early 
in  the  game,"  he  remarked.  "The  under  dog  is  some- 
times playin'  possum." 

A  glance  from  two  bright  eyes  was  Barney's  reward, 
— the  only  reward  worth  counting. 


CHAPTER   VIII 

SATURDAY  night,  after  Thanksgiving,  Jim  Cycle 
turned  his  team  of  horses  over  to  the  stableman  with 
a  muttered  exclamation  which  the  other  did  not  under- 
stand, and  marched  off  at  once  to  the  men's  shanty. 
Without  a  word  to  the  half-dozen  men  who  were  there 
before  him,  he  sat  down  on  the  deacon  seat  in  front  of 
his  bunk,  and,  resting  his  head  on  one  hand  and  his  el- 
bow on  his  knee,  proceeded  to  wrestle  with  the  prob- 
lem which  had  been  bothering  him  for  several  weeks. 
During  the  past  three  days  it  had  reached  an  acute 
stage,  and  he  felt  that  the  time  had  come  for  a  fight  to 
the  finish.  The  supper  call  from  the  cook's  shanty 
sounded,  and  the  other  men  scrambled  off.  Jim  sat 
still  on  the  deacon  seat,  and  only  a  slight  scowl  gave 
token  that  he  heard  the  call  usually  welcomed  so 
eagerly.  Presently  he^stretched  out  his  legs,  and  form- 
ing a  bootjack  with  the  toe  of  one  foot  and  the  rim  of 
the  stove  he  drew  off  his  heavy  boots  and  placed  them' 
before  the  fire  to  dry  while  he  held  out  his  stockinged 
feet  to  the  red  glow  of  the  stove  for  the  same  purpose. 
A  pungent  odor  of  steaming  leather  and  wool  quickly 
asserted  itself  in  the  close  atmosphere  of  the  shanty. 
Jim's  movements  had  been  almost  automatic  and  un- 
conscious. He  was  still  absorbed  in  the  struggle  which 
raged  within.  Rodney  Bedell  and  Bud  Frazer  came  in 
from  supper  and  stared  at  him  in  surprise. 

"  What's  up,  Jim  ?  You  look  like  a  funeral.  Ain't 
you  goin'  to  grub  ? "  asked  Rodney. 

us 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  119 

Jim  started  and  shook  himself  together. 

"I'll  go  when  I  like,"  he  replied  shortly;  but  at  that 
moment  his  face  lost  all  the  perplexity  which  had  fur- 
rowed it  with  wrinkles,  and  a  look  of  determination 
and  purpose  transfigured  it.  He  pulled  on  his  boots 
and  went  at  once  to  supper.  Then,  gathering  together 
the  few  personal  belongings  which  he  had  at  the  camp, 
he  quietly  slipped  away,  taking  care  that  no  one  should 
be  aware  of  his  going.  An  hour  or  so  later  he  pre- 
sented himself  at  the  Hawkins  Farm  and  asked  Josiah 
Hawkins  for  his  "  time,"  meaning  his  pay  for  the  time  he 
had  worked  and  his  release  from  further  duty.  Persist- 
ent questioning  failed  to  get  from  him  any  reason  for 
his  sudden  desertion.  He  had  no  grievance,  he  said ; 
nothing  had  gone  wrong ;  he  felt  fit  as  ever,  and  liked 
the  work,  but  he  wanted  to  quit.  With  a  kind  word  of 
regret,  and  a  cordial  invitation  to  come  to  the  Christ- 
mas jollification  which  had  been  promised  for  the  mem- 
bers of  the  Hawkins  camp,  the  farmer  paid  Jim  and 
let  him  go.  Barney  O'Boyle,  when  appealed  to,  could 
not  explain  Jim's  action.  Even  Ashbel  Fair  and  the 
other  boys  from  Midland  had  not  been  taken  into  his 
confidence. 

"Now  that  I  think  of  it,  he's  been  actin'  kinder 
queer-like  the  last  month,"  said  Barney ;  "  kapin'  to  him- 
self sorter  quiet  an'  peaceable.  Sure,  he's  after  givin' 
Red  Lampheer  the  cowld  shoulder  entirely.  Him  an' 
Red  were  the  divil's  own  twins  for  trouble  up  the  river 
last  year.  It's  my  opinion  there's  somethin'  on  his 
mind." 

Farmer  Hawkins  laughed  and  said :  "  I  should  hardly 
regard  that  as  a  bad  sign.  A  little  thinking  will  do 
him  good.  If  you  hear  from  him,  let  me  know." 

Meanwhile,  Jim  Gyde  had  gone  from  the  farm  directly 


120  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

to  Red-Keg.  The  night  was  cold  and  clear,  and  he 
walked  rapidly  along  the  snowy  road,  reaching  the  vil- 
lage about  nine  o'clock.  Almost  unconsciously  he 
turned  in  the  direction  of  Pete's  saloon  and  "  hotel," 
the  Red-Keg,  from  the  window  of  which  a  cheerful 
light  seemed  to  invite  him  to  enter.  He  stepped  upon 
the  low  platform  which  served  as  a  piazza,  and  raised 
his  hand  to  push  open  the  door.  Then  he  hesitated, 
and  let  his  hand  fall  slowly  to  his  side. 

"  Tain't  'xactly  the  place  to  begin,''  he  muttered, 
and  stole  softly  away. 

A  little  farther  up  the  street  was  Jake  Vogel's  store 
with  his  house  adjoining.  Both  were  in  darkness,  but 
Jim,  after  a  moment's  deliberation,  pounded  on  the  door 
of  the  house  with  his  fist.  Presently  a  voice  within 
demanded  to  know  who  was  there,  and  then  the  door 
was  opened  and  Jake  Vogel  appeared  holding  a  smok- 
ing kerosene  hand-lamp  above  his  head. 

"Great  beanstalks,  Jim!  What  brings  ye  to  the 
Kag  this  time  o*  night,  an'  what  kin  I  do  for  ye  ? " 

"  Nothin',  'cept  give  me  a  place  to  sleep  till  mornin'," 
replied  Jim. 

"  Ye  kin  hev  Grat's  bed  ef  it's  long  enough,"  said 
Jake,  as  he  shut  the  door;  "but  I  thought  ye  was 
workin*  in  Hawkins's  camp  out  by  the  Sturgeon 
way." 

"  I've  quit,"  said  Jim,  so  shortly  that  Jake  was  con- 
strained to  keep  his  curiosity  to  himself,  and  he  showed 
the  young  man  to  a  small  room  on  the  next  floor,  re- 
marking: 

"This  here's  Grat's  room;  don't  know  what  shape 
it's  in ;  guess  ye'll  hev  to  make  out  by  yerself ;  the  old 
lady's  in  bed." 

**  I'm  much  obliged,  an'  I  don't  need  no  waitin'  on," 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  121 

said  Jim.  "  I  might  o'  gone  to  Pete's,  or  to  Ferd's, 
yonder,  but — but " 

"Never  mind,"  interrupted  Vogel,  "ye're  welcome 
here ;  make  yerself  ter  hum."  With  this,  Jake  retired, 
taking  his  lamp  with  him. 

Early  on  the  following  morning,  after  a  quick  but 
substantial  breakfast,  Jim  started  off  again  along  the 
river  road  to  Midland.  Later  in  the  forenoon  numer- 
ous conveyances  would  pass  along  that  road  with  Red- 
Keggers  on  the  way  to  the  Rev.  Augustus  Hayward's 
church.  It  was  just  as  well  to  be  early  and  avoid 
meeting  acquaintances  who  might  ask  embarrassing 
questions. 

The  intense  cold  of  the  past  three  or  four  days  was 
moderating,  and  already  the  snow  was  beginning  to 
soften  in  the  morning  sun.  A  thin  sheet  of  ice  had 
formed  over  the  Tittabawassee  since  the  last  snow  fell, 
but  it  was  likely  to  break  up  with  one  warm  day.  The 
naked  trees  between  the  road  and  the  river  afforded 
free  glimpses  of  the  frozen  stream,  glistening  like  silver 
in  sharp  contrast  to  the  bronze-like  boles.  On  the 
other  side  of  the  road  the  forest  was  broken  at  intervals 
by  the  clearings  of  lumbermen  or  farmers,  and  in  most 
of  these  clearings  the  houses  of  those  who  had  thus 
slain  their  thousands  in  their  battle  with  the  forest 
stood  a  short  distance  back  from  the  road.  Overhead. 
the  road  was  arched,  for  most  of  the  distance,  with 
great  branches,  which  in  summer  shut  out  the  heat  of 
the  sun  and  in  winter  mitigated  the  fury  of  the  storm. 
A  beautiful  road  it  was  for  those  who  had  eyes  to  see. 

Jim  Gyde  cared  for  none  of  these  things;  he  did  not 
know  of  their  existence.  The  road  was  a  way  from 
Red-Keg  to  Midland,  that  was  all— or,  not  quite  all. 
His  stride  grew  slower  as  he  approached  a  clearing 


122  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

about  a  mile  from  Midland.  Just  within  sight  of  a  neat 
farmhouse  he  stopped  and  gazed  eagerly  at  veranda, 
windows,  doors,  grounds.  Nothing  seemed  to  reward 
his  search,  for  the  longing  look  did  not  leave  his  eyes. 
He  started  to  enter  the  gate,  hesitated,  and  then  hast- 
ened on  his  way,  with  a  spring  in  his  step  and  the  light 
of  a  strong  purpose  kindling  anew  in  his  face. 

"  Not  now;  not  yet,"  he  muttered,  and  then,  with  a 
grim  smile,  "thet  'gold '  first,  for  her,  an' — him." 

Jim's  father  was  surprised  when  his  son  stalked  into 
the  house  on  Sunday  morning.  He  had  regarded  him 
as  fixed  for  the  winter  at  the  Hawkins  camp.  Failing 
to  get  any  explanation,  however,  for  his  sudden  throw- 
ing up  of  a  good  job,  he  satisfied  himself  by  adminis- 
tering a  tongue-lashing,  which  was  received  in  silence, 
and  then  left  his  son  to  his  own  devices.  The  injunc- 
tion, "Father,  provoke  not  your  children  to  wrath," 
was  not  a  part  of  old  man  Bill  Gyde's  rule  of  conduct. 
He  would  have  been  surprised  if  any  one  had  told  him 
that  his  "  line  upon  line,  and  precept  upon  precept," 
and  his  adherence  to  the  command,  "  Thou  shalt  beat 
him  with  the  rod  and  shalt  deliver  his  soul  from  hell," 
had  wholly  failed  in  Jim's  case  because  the  necessary 
admixture  of  love  had  been  lacking.  Jim,  in  his  younger 
days,  had  hated  his  father.  Now,  when  he  himself  was 
larger  and  stronger  and  able  to  resist  the  long-accus- 
tomed switch,  his  hate  had  changed  to  contempt.  The 
tongue-lashing  had  lost  much  of  its  sting,  and  reminded 
him,  more  than  anything  else,  of  the  rapid  and  futile 
stabs  of  a  venomous  snake  held  prisoner  under  the  sole 
of  a  thick  horsehide  boot.  Therefore  he  ignored  his 
father's  reproof  and  kept  his  own  counsel  during  the 
remainder  of  the  day. 

Monday  morning  dawned  amid  a  whirl  of  snow.    The 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  123 

wind  blew  a  gale  from  the  northeast.  It  had  grown 
colder  again  over  night.  Joseph  Waters  rubbed  the 
sleep  from  his  eyes  at  daybreak  and  cast  troubled 
glances  out  of  the  window  as  he  dressed. 

"  Bad  day ;  not  many  out ;  I  must  get  around  early 
and  warm  up,"  he  soliloquized,  as  he  noted  how  the 
mercury  had  sunk  nearer  to  the  bulb  in  the  thermome- 
ter nailed  to  the  frame  outside  his  window.  A  few 
minutes  later  he  repeated  the  same  observation  to 
Dame  Bedell,  who  stood  over  a  crackling  hard-wood 
fire  in  the  kitchen  preparing  breakfast.  In  his  "  board- 
ing 'round "  itinerary,  the  teacher  of  District  School 
No.  i  had,  the  week  before,  taken  up  his  brief  abode 
with  the  parents  of  one  of  his  pupils,  Rodney  Bedell. 

"  You're  'bout  right,  teacher,"  responded  Dame  Be- 
dell briskly,  as  she  thrust  a  fresh  stick  into  the  stove 
and  jammed  it  down  into  place  with  the  poker.  "  I'll 
hev  your  breakfast  ready  in  a  jiffy,  an'  ye  can  git  off 
as  soon's  ye  like." 

The  school  was  but  a  short  distance  from  the  house, 
and  as  soon  as  Waters  arrived,  he  set  about  building  a 
fire  in  the  long  box-stove  with  its  antique  drum  on  top. 
Pine  chips,  and  dry  spalts,  and  heavy  sticks  of  beech 
and  maple,  full  cordwood  length,  were  soon  blazing  and 
snapping.  The  fire  roared  through  the  long  stovepipe, 
the  sides  of  the  old  stove  became  cherry-red,  and  the 
drum  threw  out  a  cheerful  warmth  which  soon  reached 
the  remote  corners  of  the  room. 

Waters  looked  for  a  slim  attendance  at  this  first  ses- 
sion of  school  after  the  Thanksgiving  holidays.  The 
storm  would  keep  many  of  the  little  ones  away  who 
loved  to  come,  and  some  of  the  older  children  who 
were  glad  of  any  excuse  to  be  absent.  His  assistant, 
Axcy  Marthy,  would  come  in  spite  of  the  storm ;  he 


124  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

felt  sure  of  it.  She  had  almost  never  missed  a  ses- 
sion as  pupil,  and  now,  as  assistant  teacher,  regularly 
appointed  at  a  salary  by  the  School  Board,  she  was, 
if  possible,  still  more  faithful.  The  little  ones  wor- 
shipped her,  and  considered  it  the  direst  misfortune 
if  kept  at  home.  Her  winning  smile  and  merry  laugh, 
and  her  natural  roguishness  and  love  of  fun  made  her 
the  comrade  of  them  all;  while  the  forceful  dignity 
with  which  she  controlled  them  when  she  wished  com- 
manded their  respect  and  obedience.  To  Mr.  Waters 
she  had  grown  indispensable.  The  work  of  the  school 
proceeded  better,  the  deportment  had  improved,  and 
he  found  himself  taking  real  enjoyment  in  the  perform- 
ance of  his  arduous  task.  He  sometimes  questioned 
with  himself  what  had  wrought  the  change  in  behavior 
among  many  of  the  formerly  unruly  boys.  Was  it  his 
own  firmness,  or  the  presence  in  the  room  of  Axcy 
Marthy  as  assistant  teacher  ?  And  what  had  wrought 
the  change  in  his  own  attitude  to  the  school  ?  Last 
year  he  had  entered  the  room  in  the  morning  with  a 
sense  of  taking  up  a  burden  or  beginning  a  struggle. 
In  the  evening  he  departed  with  a  feeling  of  relief.  He 
had  even  debated  seriously  whether  to  accept  a  reap- 
pointment.  This  year  he  experienced  unmistakable 
pleasure  as  he  began  his  day,  and  curiously  failed  to 
welcome  its  ending.  Perhaps  he  was  not  fully  con- 
scious of  this  reversal  of  feeling.  Perhaps  he  did  not 
realize  this  Monday  morning,  as  he  wound  the  school 
clock  and  set  it  by  his  watch,  that  his  only  thought  with 
regard  to  the  half -hour  remaining  before  school  time 
was  one  of  impatience  for  it  to  be  gone. 

One  by  one  the  pupils  struggled  in  from  the  storm, 
shutting  the  door  with  difficulty  against  the  wind  and 
the  whirl  of  flakes.  They  shook  the  snow  from  coats 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  125 

and  wraps,  stamped  their  feet,  and  gathered  around  the 
big  stove  in  the  centre  of  the  room .  Cheeks  were  aglow 
and  spirits  rollicksome  after  the  battle  with  the  ele- 
ments. Some  of  the  smallest  children,  living  near  at 
hand,  had  been  brought,  bundled  up,  by  their  fathers 
or  big  brothers.  At  nine  o'clock  between  thirty  and 
forty  pupils  were  present,  but  Axcy  Marthy  had  not 
come.  Just  as  the  teacher  reached  for  the  bell-rope, 
one  of  Axcy's  anxious  pupils,  who  was  posted  at  the 
window  and  peering  through  the  flying  snow,  called 
gleefully : 

"  Here  she  comes— I  guess !  Way  down  the  road. 
The  wind  is  mos'  blowin'  her  to  pieces." 

Instantly  a  dozen  more  children  were  wiping  the 
steam  from  the  windows  on  that  side  of  the  room  and 
straining  to  catch  a  glimpse  of  their  "  own  teacher," 
who  had  fought  her  way  through  the  storm  for  more 
than  a  mile,  and  now  seemed  exhausted  and  almost 
helpless  in  the  wind  and  drifting  snow. 

Waters  glanced  through  the  window  and  then  sprang 
for  his  overcoat  and  cap  to  go  to  the  girl's  assistance. 
As  he  stepped  out  into  the  road  he  saw  a  tall  man  hur- 
rying toward  Axcy  with  the  evident  purpose  of  render- 
ing aid.  A  moment  more,  and  Waters  saw  to  his  sur- 
prise that  the  man  was  Jim  Gyde,  who,  as  he  had 
thought,  was  ten  miles  away  at  Hawkins's  shingle-mill. 
He  watched  the  two  until  satisfied  that  no  further  help 
was  needed,  and  then  re-entered  the  schoolroom  to  await 
their  arrival. 

"Well!  Thought  I'd  never  get  here!  What  a 
storm ! "  exclaimed  Axcy,  as  she  burst  in,  panting  and 
laughing. 

Jim  shut  the  door  and  stood  by  it,  looking  sheepish 
and  uncomfortable,  his  frame  towering  above  all  the 


126  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

other  pupils  and  even  the  schoolmaster  himself,  who 
extended  his  hand  cordially. 

"  Glad  to  see  you,  Jim.  What  brings  you  down  here 
so  far  from  the  camp  ? "  he  asked. 

"  Why — I — ain't  it  school  time  ?  I  b'long  here,  don't 
I  ? "  replied  Jim,  fidgeting  awkwardly. 

"  Certainly !  Glad  to  have  you.  Pretty  rough  out- 
side, isn't  it  ? "  said  Waters,  still  puzzled,  but  quick  to 
see  that  the  young  lumberman  did  not  want  to  be  ques- 
tioned. Probably  this  was  simply  another  of  his  many 
whims,  which  had  so  long  kept  him  from  making  prog- 
ress in  anything  that  required  persistent  application. 

School  was  quickly  in  session,  and  Jim  glared  at  the 
lesson  that  had  been  given  him  to  study  as  though  he 
would  devour  it,  book  and  all.  Now  and  then  he  dug 
his  fingers  into  his  hair  and  scowled  at  the  page  in  a 
sort  of  suppressed  fury.  Real  study  was  so  unusual 
with  him  that  it  almost  baffled  his  most  determined 
efforts  to  keep  his  mind  on  the  lesson,  and  he  was  angry 
at  his  own  seeming  inability  to  conquer  what  the  smaller 
pupils  found  so  easy.  A  feeling  of  shame  grew  strong 
in  him  as  he  began  to  realize  his  own  ignorance,  but  he 
only  went  at  his  task  with  more  fierce  determination, 
which  made  the  sweat  stand  out  on  his  forehead.  Wa- 
ters noticed  with  interest  and  curiosity  the  evident 
struggle  in  which  the  young  man  was  engaged.  He 
had  never  seen  him  tackle  his  lessons  in  such  a  manner 
before.  Something  was  behind  it,  and  it  must  be  some- 
thing out  of  the  ordinary.  He  would  watch  and  wait. 

At  noontime  the  storm  had  abated  somewhat.  Most 
of  the  children  had  brought  their  lunch  and  gathered 
in  groups  to  eat  it ;  but  Jim  plunged  out  into  the  drifts 
as  soon  as  the  bell  rang  for  noon  recess.  He  had  re- 
cited once  during  the  forenoon,  and  had  surprised  him- 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  127 

self  no  less  than  the  schoolmaster  and  the  other  pupils 
by  spelling  several  words  correctly.  He  had  a  vague 
dread  that  compliments  and  questions  might  be  waiting 
him,  so  he  fled  precipitately  the  moment  the  bell  rang. 
Waters  noticed  this  also  with  a  smile. 

Just  as  the  school  was  reconvened,  not  a  moment 
sooner,  Jim  returned  and  took  his  seat,  and  the  painful 
struggle  of  the  forenoon  was  renewed.  After  another 
creditable  recitation  Waters  covered  him  with  confu- 
sion by  commending  him  before  the  school.  Moreover, 
he  determined  to  speak  personally  to  him  after  school 
and  encourage  him  to  go  on  with  his  good  work ;  but 
the  young  man  disappeared  the  instant  school  was 
dismissed. 

Several  days  passed  in  this  way,  and  the  schoolmas- 
ter watched  with  growing  interest  and  wonder  the 
dogged  persistence  with  which  Jim  stuck  to  the  work. 
His  progress  was  marvellous,  for  him.  Waters  had 
tried  every  day  to  find  an  opportunity  to  talk  with  him 
alone,  but  the  young  man  avoided  everybody.  Twice 
as  Waters  left  the  schoolhouse  in  the  evening  he 
caught  a  glimpse  of  Jim,  apparently  hanging  around 
and  waiting  for  him,  but  as  soon  as  he  approached,  Jim 
went  away. 

"  The  boy  has  something  on  his  mind  and  he  wants 
to  tell  me,  but  can't  screw  up  his  courage.  I'll  have  to 
help  him,"  concluded  Waters,  after  the  second  experi- 
ence of  this  kind. 

The  next  day  was  Friday,  the  last  school  day  of  the 
week.  Before  dismissing  the  school,  Waters  announced 
the  names  of  six  pupils  who  were  requested  to  remain 
for  a  few  minutes.  Jim  Gyde  was  among  them,  much 
to  his  surprise.  After  the  others  had  gone,  the  school- 
master began  to  dismiss  the  six,  one  at  a  time,  with  a 


128  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

word  or  tv.*o  concerning  their  studies,  until  only  Jim 
was  left. 

"  I  want  to  speak  to  you,  Jim ;  and  I  think  you  want 
to  speak  to  me ;  but  you've  kept  away  from  me  so  per- 
sistently that  I  had  to  resort  to  this  little  ruse  to  get 
hold  of  you."  Waters  laughed  as  he  made  this  frank 
confession,  and  took  a  seat  near  Jim. 

"  Now  tell  me  all  about  it,"  he  continued.  "  What's 
got  into  you?  You're  a  new  man.  Why,  do  you 
know,  Jim,  you  have  really  accomplished  more  in  this 
one  week  than  you  ever  did  before  in  a  year.  It  has 
teen  hard  work,  I  know  I  admire  your  pluck.  At 
this  rate  you'll  do  wonders  by  spring.  What  does  it 
all  mean  ? " 

Pleasure,  surprise,  and  chagrin  betrayed  themselves 
in  the  rugged  face  of  the  young  lumberman.  The 
schoolmaster's  hearty  praise  pleased  him,  but  he  had 
flattered  himself  that  Waters  understood  exactly  the 
reason  for  his  changed  conduct 

"  You  don't  mean  to  say — that  is,  you  haven't  forgot, 
have  ye,  what  you  said  at  the  parson's  party  ? "  said 
Jim,  hesitatingly. 

"  No,  Jim,  I  haven't,  surely ;  and  you  haven't  forgot- 
ten it  ?  You  said  then  that  you  didn't  understand  me, 
but  you  have  never  asked  me  to  explain.  Did  you 
figure  it  out  for  yourself  ? "  asked  Waters. 

"  You  said  as  how  I  had  gold  in  me  an'  didn't  know 
it,  or  some  such  talk  as  that.  I  didn't  know  what  you 
meant  then,  an'  I  ain't  jes  clear  now,  but  I  couldn't  git 
it  out  o'  mind  ever  sence.  I  kinder  figgered  you  was 
usin'  fancy  talk,  like  the  parson  does  in  preachin',  an' 
meant  that  I  didn't  amount  to  much,  but  could  if  I  laid 
out  to  do  my  best." 

Jim  was  painfully  embarrassed  at  having  to  explain 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  129 

himself  to  the  schoolmaster,  but  now  the  ice  was  broken 
he  was  resolved  to  make  his  intentions  perfectly  plain. 
Waters  could  scarcely  refrain  from  a  smile  at  the  refer- 
ence  to  his  style  of  language,  but  he  replied  seriously 
and  kindly : 

"  You  came  pretty  near  to  it,  Jim ;  I  did  mean  that 
you  could  amount  to  something  if  you  would  rouse  and 
use  the  good  qualities  that  are  in  you  but  that  had  been 
neglected.  A  manly  character— bravery,  honesty, 
kindness,  worthy  ambition  and  the  pluck  and  ability  to 
achieve  it— this  is  the  gold  in  a  man.  When  he  finds 
it  and  uses  it,  he  makes  himself  rich,  and  his  friends, 
too.  I'm  glad  you've  struck  the  vein." 

"I  ain't  so  clear  on  that,"  said  Jim,  "but  if  it's  so,  as 
you  say,  an'  I  can  git  ahead,  an'  make  up  for  lost  time, 
an'  be  good  fer  suthin,  I  want  to.  I  don't  know  much 
— not  as  much  as  the  other  fellers — an*  I  thought  may- 
be I  oughter  come  back  to  school  this  winter  'stead  of 
cuttin'  logs." 

"  Yes,  there  are  some  things  a  man  must  get  before 
he  says  good-by  to  school-books,  if  he  wants  to  take  any 
kind  of  place  among  his  fellows.  We'll  crowd  a  lot  of 
good,  practical,  every-day  learning  into  the  remainder 
of  this  school  season,  and  you  will  be  surprised  at  the 
results  in  the  spring.  I  shall  be  only  too  glad  to  help 
you  all  I  can." 

Waters  spoke  heartily  and  rose  as  he  concluded,  to 
indicate  that  their  understanding  was  complete,  and  the 
purpose  of  the  conversation  achieved.  Nothing  more 
remained  but  to  go  home.  But  Jim  kept  his  seat,  and 
cleared  his  throat  in  the  manner  which  always  intimates 
that  there  is  something  more  to  say. 

"That  ain't  quite  all,  Mr.  Waters,"  he  said,  with 
some  hesitation.  "  You  told  me  that  time  you  was  my 

4 


130  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

friend,  an'  would  always  be  willin'  to  give  me  a  brother's 
help  if  I'd  take  it — didn't  you  ? "  The  question  was 
added  with  a  sudden  tone  of  anxiety  lest  he  had  pre- 
sumed too  far. 

"  That's  right,  Jim.  I  meant  it,  and  I'll  stick  to  it. 
Nothing  will  give  me  more  pleasure  than  to  help  you 
on  in  the  way  you  have  chosen.  Do  not  hesitate  to 
call  on  me  for  anything  you  need  that  is  within  my 
power  to  grant." 

The  young  man  seemed  to  be  laboring  under  a  sup- 
pressed excitement,  which  made  it  difficult  for  him  to 
speak.  The  schoolmaster's  hearty  and  unqualified 
promise  of  help  stirred  him  strangely. 

"  I  have  no  right  to  ask  it ;  I  know  I  ain't,"  he  said, 
hoarsely.  "  I  ain't  forgot  how  I  set  the  dog  on  ye,  an' 
how  ye  never  told  on  me,  an*  even  offered  to  be  my 
friend.  It  was  a  dirty  trick.  I  hated  you  that  day  fer 
thrashin'  me ;  I  hated  you  worse  fer  killin'  Moscow,  an* 
I  hated  you  again  fer  forgivin'  me  an'  makin'  me 
ashamed  o'  myself.  Then,  'long  in  the  summer,  I  didn't 
hate  you,  an'  felt  more  ashamed ;  an'  I  thought  about 
all  you  said,  an'  made  my  mind  up  to  try  an'  make  up 
for  it,  an'  show  you, — an' — another  reason.  I  meant 
ter  come  ter  school  at  the  start,  but  the  boys  got  me  out 
ter  the  mill  before  I  knew  it.  Then  I  thought  I'd  wait 
till  spring,  but  the  more  I  thought,  the  more  I  couldn't 
wait,  so  I  quit  an'  come  here.  Now  I'm  havin'  the 
cheek  ter  ask  favors  of  the  man  I  tried  ter  git  done  up." 

"  Never  mind  the  dog,  Jim,"  said  Waters.  "  I  don't 
regret  the  episode  at  all.  I  believe  it  was  the  means 
of  bringing  us  together.  We'll  be  all  the  better  friends 
because  of  that  little  affair  and  this  frank  talk.  If 
there  is  any  other  favor  you  want  to  ask,  don't  hesi- 
tate. If  I  can,  I  will  grant  it  gladly." 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  131 

"There  is !"  exclaimed  Jim.  "I  don't  know  why  I 
come  to  you  for  it,  'cept  that  you're  the  only  man  who 
could  do  it,  an'  you  are  goin'  to  help  me  be  somebody, 
an' — an' — you're  a  square  man." 

Jim  paused  a  moment,  at  a  loss  how  to  proceed. 
Waters  said  nothing,  but  waited. 

"  I  said  I  wanted  to  try  what  ye  told  me,  an'  show 
you  they  was  somethin'  decent  in  me,"  continued  Jim, 
after  a  moment.  "  It  was  no  more'n  fair  to  you,  after 
the  way  you'd  treated  me ;  but  there's  somebody  else 
I  want  to  show,  too — somebody  I  want  to  make  my- 
self fit  for.  I  ain't  good  enough  now,  I  know,  but  you 
said  I  could  be,  an'  you  promised  to  help.  If  you'll  do 
that,  maybe  in  a  year  or  so  I'll  be  fit  to  go  to  her  and 
tell  her,  an'  ask  her  ter  have  me.  Mr.  Waters,  you've 
been  talkin'  about  the  good  in  me — the  gold,  ye  called 
it — an'  about  ambition,  an'  all  that.  Let  me  jes  say 
this — there's  nothin'  in  God's  world  will  bring  'em  out 
like  the  love  in  me  for  that  girl,  an'  the  hope  of  makin' 
her  my  wife.  If  they's  any  gold,  it's  for  her,  an'  if— if 
ye  could,  sometime,  speak  a  good  word  for  me  to  Axcy, 
it  would  be  the  biggest  favor  ye  ever  did,  an'  more'n  I 
deserve." 

Would  it  not,  indeed !  Jim  had  been  so  absorbed  in 
his  appeal  that  he  did  not  observe  the  pallor  which 
spread  over  Joseph  Waters' s  face  as  he  listened,  nor  the 
look  of  horror  and  anguish  which  distended  his  eyes, 
as  the  full  significance  of  Jim's  request  struck  him 
with  cruel  force.  A  complete  realization  of  his  own 
feeling  for  Axcy  seemed  to  come  simultaneously  with 
his  comprehension  of  Jim's  desire,  and  he  cringed  as 
from  a  blow.  It  was  impossible  to  answer  Jim's  re- 
quest at  once,  and  he  rose  hastily  and  walked  toward 
the  door  to  conceal  his  emotion.  His  limbs  seemed 


132  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

weak  and  trembling  and  threatened  to  give  way  under 
him.  Only  an  instant  passed,  though  it  was  like  an 
hour  to  him,  when  he  heard  Jim's  voice  again,  away  off 
in  the  distance,  it  seemed. 

"  What's  wrong  ?  Don't  go  yet,  till  you've  answered 
me,"  he  was  saying.  "  You  offered  me  your  hand,  that 
time,  and  a  brother's  help,  an'  I  was  too  much  of  a  fool 
to  take  it.  Would  you  mind — shakin'  hands  now,  ter 
show  you  meant  it,  an'  that  they  ain't  no  hard  feelin's  ? 
I'm  only  takin'  you  at  your  word,  ain't  I  ? " 

With  a  supreme  effort,  Waters  controlled  himself 
and  turned  to  Jim,  who  had  risen  from  his  seat.  He 
extended  his  hand,  and  the  young  man  grasped  it 
eagerly, 

"  Jim,"  said  Waters,  his  voice  husky  and  uncertain, 
"you  can  make  a  worthy  man  of  yourself  if  you  stick 
to  your  resolve.  The  help  I  have  pledged  you,  I  shall 
give,  you  may  be  sure.  The  matter  of  your — love  for 
— a  noble  girl  is  between  you  and  her  alone ;  but  do 
not  doubt  that  I  shall  speak  well  of  you  whenever  you 
deserve  it.  Good-night." 

Jim  strode  away  satisfied.  Waters  remained  for  a 
few  moments  to  lock  up,  scarcely  conscious  of  what 
he  did ;  then  he  walked  slowly  away  toward  his  home. 
The  suddenness  with  which  the  double  revelation  had 
come  to  him  unnerved  him  and  made  it  impossible  to 
think  clearly.  He  knew  that  he  had  come  to  a  crisis 
in  his  life.  He  felt  as  if  an  abyss  of  darkness  and 
death  had  on  the  instant  opened  in  front  of  him  and 
behind  him,  where  just  before  all  had  been  bright  and 
promising.  Now  a  step  in  either  direction  meant  dis- 
aster and  heartbreak.  He  entered  the  Bedell  home 
and  sat  down  to  supper  because  it  was  there  awaiting 
him.  After  sitting  awhile  without  eating,  he  excused 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  133 

himself  to  the  good  dame  who  kept  house  alone  while 
her  husband  and  son  were  away  at  the  lumber-camps, 
and  went  to  his  room.  There,  alone,  in  the  cold  and 
the  darkness,  he  tried  to  find  the  bearings  and  steer 
the  course  of  his  storm-tossed  soul.  The  case  seemed 
hopeless.  Over  and  over  again  he  repeated,  "  I  love 
her — I  need  her;  he  loves  her— he  needs  her.  I  am 
pledged  to  lift  him  up,  to  help  him  gain  the  prize 
of  manliness.  Must  I  sacrifice  myself — and  her — to 
do  it  ? " 

Joseph  Waters  was  a  true  man.  He  was  sturdy, 
stubborn,  and  conscientious.  When  once  he  had  de- 
cided that  a  certain  course  was  the  right  one,  he 
would  not  hesitate  to  follow  it,  no  matter  what  the  cost ; 
but  while  he  was  true  to  others  and  to  his  sense  of 
right,  he  was  true  also  to  himself.  To  be  guilty  of  an 
injustice  to  himself  was  a  sin  only  a  degree  less  than 
injustice  to  another.  He  believed  it  to  be  his  duty  to 
gain  every  good  thing,  every  advantage,  every  joy  for 
himself  which  could  be  gained  without  depriving 
another  of  his  due.  The  problem  which  now  con- 
fronted him  was  unparalleled  in  its  complexity  and  its 
promise  of  pain  for  himself  and  others,  however  it 
might  be  solved.  The  more  he  wrestled  with  it,  the 
more  hopeless  it  looked.  To  conquer  the  unruly  spirit 
and  arouse  the  dormant  ambition  of  Jim  Gyde  was  an 
undertaking  which  he  had  specially  chosen  and  made 
one  of  the  most  earnest  purposes  in  his  work  at  Dis- 
trict School  No.  i.  He  had  chosen  it  partly  because 
of  a  genuine  interest  in  and  wish  to  benefit  the  young 
man,  and  partly  because  of  the  very  difficulty  of  the 
task  itself.  It  was  his  nature  to  try  things  that  others 
regarded  as  impossible,  to  do  things  that  others  would 
not  do.  Moreover,  he  regarded  the  training  of  the 


134  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

minds  of  his  pupils  in  school  studies  as  only  a  part  of 
his  work  with  them.  He  had  the  missionary  spirit 
combined  with  that  of  the  pedagogue.  From  the  very 
first,  he  had  recognized  that  the  Midland  school,  with 
its  element  of  half-grown  and  fully-grown  young  back- 
woodsmen, lawless  and  uncouth,  was  the  field  of  labor 
which  needed  him.  When  he  was  tempted  to  leave  it, 
his  stubborn  nature  seized  upon  the  incident  of  the 
dog  and  threw  it  into  the  balancing  scales.  They 
tipped  at  once  to  the  side  of  staying,  and  Jim  Gyde  be- 
came his  special  aim.  Strangely  enough,  God  seemed 
to  have  given  him,  in  his  very  first  conversation  with 
the  fellow,  a  word  which  had  struck  home.  He  had 
pledged  himself  to  stick  by  Jim  and  help  him  in  his 
struggle  for  a  new  life,  and  the  young  man  had  ac- 
cepted his  pledge  and  held  him  to  it.  Ambition  and 
purpose  had  sprung  into  fierce  life  and  seemed  to  be 
sweeping  the  lad  on  with  resistless  impulse.  All  he 
asked  was  the  co-operation  of  the  man  who  had  prom- 
ised to  be  his  brother.  That  was  all,  indeed!  To 
Joseph  Waters  it  was  all.  What  fearful  sacrifice  had 
Jim  unknowingly  demanded  ?  He  had  innocently  and 
trustingly  confided  to  his  new-found  brother  that  the 
one  thing  he  cared  for,  the  one  thing  he  needed,  was 
the  love  and  companionship  of  Axcy  Marthy.  He  had 
known  it  in  his  heart  before,  but  now  his  roused  ambi- 
tion and  aspiration  to  be  a  worthy  man  among  men 
seized  upon  his  great  love  as  the  reason  for  all  ambi- 
tion, the  incentive  and  support  of  all  worthy  effort. 
Without  it  that  ambition  and  purpose  would  die  as 
suddenly  as  they  had  burst  into  life,  so  Waters  feared ; 
yet  how  could  it  be  possible  for  Jim  to  possess  the 
priceless  thing  so  much  desired  ?  Another  desired  it 
with  equal  ardor.  To  another  it  was  the  thing  needed, 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  135 

the  pearl  of  great  price  for  which  all  else  must  be  sac- 
rificed, and  that  other  was  Jim's  teacher,  and  friend, 
and  brother,  who  had  promised  to  help  him  to  gain  the 
prize  of  manly  effort.  Now,  should  he  rob  him  of  the 
prize  which  he  had  declared  was  the  object  of  this 
effort ;  or  should  he  allow  himself,  in  the  fulfilment  of 
his  pledge,  to  be  robbed  of  that  which  had  been  slowly 
tightening  its  hold  upon  his  heart,  through  months, 
though  he  knew  it  not,  but  which  now,  when  demanded 
by  another,  suddenly  revealed  itself  as  the  greatest 
thing  in  the  world  for  him  ? 

How  was  she  affected?  Surely  her  welfare  and 
happiness  must,  after  all,  be  the  deciding  factor.  Was 
he  not  better  fitted  to  provide  both  ?  With  his  educa- 
tion and  refinement,  and  his  work,  would  he  not  be  a 
more  suitable  and  congenial  companion  for  a  high- 
minded  girl  like  Axcy  Marthy  ?  Would  it  be  right  to 
her  to  relinquish  her  to  an  ignorant,  uncouth  lumber- 
man, however  good  his  purpose  might  be  ?  "  God,  I 
thank  Thee  that  I  am  not  as  other  men  are  ...  or 
even  as  this  publican."  The  involuntary  thought  of 
this  ancient  boast  smote  him  like  a  whip.  Had  he 
not  assured  Jim  that  the  discovery  and  development  of 
the  good  in  him  would  make  him  rich,  and  others,  too 
—that  he  expected  to  see  him,  one  day,  a  leader  of  the 
men  in  these  parts— a  leader  in  nobility  of  character, 
as  in  bravery  and  enterprise?  What  better  should  a 
woman  want  in  the  man  of  her  choice  ?  Her  choice ! 
Waters  shivered  in  the  cold  of  his  room  as  his  thoughts 
suddenly  turned  in  a  new  channel !  Was  Jim  the  man 
of  her  choice?  He  remembered  now  the  occasions 
when  he  had  seen  them  together,  not  many,  but  full  of 
meaning,  as  they  stood  out  before  his  mind, 
was  the  donation  party  to  Robert  Allen.  What  could 


136  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

have  brought  Jim  to  such  a  place,  and  so  soon  after  the 
commission  of  his  abortive  crime  against  his  schoolmas- 
ter, except  the  fact  that  Axcy  wanted  to  go  with  him  ? 
And  the  other  morning  in  the  snow-storm,  had  they 
not  both  looked  conscious  and  embarrassed  as  they 
came  into  the  school  together  ?  Every  word  and  look 
which  Axcy  had  bestowed  upon  the  young  man  as- 
sumed an  exaggerated  significance  in  Water s's  mind,  as 
he  tried  to  guess  at  her  feelings  toward  Jim  and  him- 
self. The  result  of  this  analysis  was  not  conclusive. 
He  felt  confident  of  his  own  ability  to  win  Axcy  if  he 
tried,  and  he  felt  painfully  aware  of  the  probability 
that,  if  he  held  aloof,  Jim  Gyde,  after  coming  into  his 
new  estate  of  manhood,  might  in  his  own  simple,  direct, 
and  passionate  manner  lay  successful  siege  to  her 
heart.  Thus  he  came  back  to  the  starting-point.  The 
problem  still  remained  to  be  solved  by  the  ruin  of  his 
hopes  or  Jim's,  Either  thought  was  intolerable.  Had 
he  been  given  such  strong  and  unexpected  influence  in 
the  young  man's  life  only  to  deal  him  a  cruel  blow  that 
might  crush  him  lower  than  he  had  been  before,  and 
make  all  future  effort  in  his  behalf  worse  than  useless  ? 
A  bitter  feeling  of  resentment  surged  up  within  him, 
and  for  a  moment  he  regretted  that  he  had  succeeded 
in  winning  Jim's  confidence.  If  it  had  not  been  so,  he 
would  now  be  free  of  all  obligation  and  free  to  compete 
with  the  young  lumberman  for  the  love  of  Axcy  Mar- 
thy.  Such  feelings,  however,  were  too  foreign  to 
Waters  to  flourish  long.  He  crushed  the  thought  back 
angrily.  Faithlessness  to  Jim  would  be  faithlessness 
to  himself.  The  entrance  he  had  gained  to  Jim's 
heart  had  been  granted  him  in  answer  to  special  prayer. 
Should  he  reproach  God  for  giving  him  what  he  had 
earnestly  asked  for?  Whether  faithfulness  to  Jim 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  137 

included  the  giving  up  of  his  own  heart's  desire,  the 
blasting  of  his  own  life  forever,  was  another  question. 
He  sought  in  vain  for  the  answer. 

The  night  grew  colder,  and  Waters  at  last  became 
conscious  of  the  cold.  He  undressed  and  went  to  bed 
with  an  agonized,  wordless  prayer  for  help. 


CHAPTER   IX 

THE,  night  passed;  the  morning  came,  and  found 
Joseph  Waters  still  in  the  throes  of  his  heart  struggle. 
The  help  he  had  cried  out  for  in  the  darkness  had  not 
come,  and  the  light  which  greeted  his  eyes  did  not 
penetrate  his  soul.  He  seemed  farther  than  ever  from 
a  solution  of  the  bitter  problem.  His  own  insufficiency 
to  cope  with  the  question,  which  he  felt  must  be  an- 
swered without  delay,  angered  him,  while  his  failure  to 
receive  an  answer  to  his  oft-repeated  appeals  to  a 
higher  Power  surprised  and  troubled  him  still  more. 
His  head  ached ;  his  mind  was  confused  with  the  con- 
flicting thoughts,  yet  he  could  not  dismiss  the  subject 
for  a  moment.  He  knew  there  would  be  no  peace  for 
him  until  some  decision  was  reached,  and  not  even 
then  unless  it  was  a  decision  which  would  satisfy  his 
sense  of  right.  If  it  were  only  a  matter  which  he 
could  talk  over  with  some  one ;  but  who  was  there 
with  whom  such  a  personal  and  sacred  matter  could  be 
discussed?  Suddenly  he  thought  of  Robert  Allen. 
He  knew  him  only  slightly,  but  he  had  been  deeply  im- 
pressed with  his  quiet  strength,  his  deep  sympathy,  and 
quick  insight.  If  any  man  could  help  him,  he  was  the 
man.  Fearing  to  hesitate,  when  perhaps  the  thought 
of  Allen  had  been  sent  to  him  in  answer  to  his  prayer 
for  help,  he  yielded  to  the  impulse,  and  after  a  hasty 
breakfast,  started  off  with  Rodney's  horse  and  cutter  to 
find  the  backwoods  minister. 

Parson  Allen  was  not  an  easy  man  to  locate  during 
138 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  139 

the  winter,  as  he  was  in  the  habit  of  visiting  several  lum- 
ber-camps, for  a  week  or  two  at  a  time.  Waters  had  no 
idea  where  he  was  at  present,  but  he  believed  Farmer 
Hawkins  could  tell  him,  and  thither  he  went  without 
delay.  The  eight-mile  drive  was  accomplished  in  little 
over  an  hour,  and  Farmer  Hawkins  and  his  wife  were 
surprised  to  receive  so  early  a  call  from  such  an  unac- 
customed visitor. 

"Joseph  Waters!  Well,  this  is  a  treat!"  ex- 
claimed Josiah,  coming  out  of  the  barn  just  as  the 
schoolmaster  drove  into  the  yard.  "To  what  good 
fortune — ?"  then,  seeing  the  other's  gloomy  face, 
which  still  bore  traces  of  his  sleepless  night  and  men- 
tal struggle,  he  said,  anxiously,  "  No  trouble,  I  hope  ? " 

"  Oh,  I  just  took  a  notion  to  look  up  Mr.  Allen  and 
have  a  little  talk,"  replied  Waters,  non-committally. 
"  I  thought  it  might  save  time  to  find  out  from  you 
where  he  is." 

"  You  never  thought  straighter  to  the  mark  in  your 
life,"  said  Farmer  Hawkins,  heartily.  "Robert  is  due 
to  spend  Sunday  here  and  hold  a  meeting  for  the  boys 
down  at  the  shingle-mill.  He  is  up  at  old  Bloag's 
camp  on  the  Tobacco,  now,  and  may  get  down  here  be- 
fore dinner,  or  maybe  not  till  afternoon.  You  come 
right  in  and  stay  to  dinner.  I'll  tend  to  the  horse." 

Mother  Hawkins  bustled  in  from  the  kitchen,  wiping 
her  hands  on  her  apron,  as  the  two  men  entered  the 
house. 

"  Here,  Mother,  you  know  Mr.  Waters,  the  school- 
master at  Midland.  He  was  up  here  to  Robert's  dona- 
tion last  spring.  Seems  as  if  he  might  have  found  the 
place  again  before  now,  though  he  did  have  to  go  down 
to  Saginaw  for  the  summer.  Anyhow,  here  he  is,  and 
he's  going  to  stay  to  dinner,  and  wants  to  see  Robert 


140  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

more  than  he  does  us.  You  give  him  a  talking  to  while 
I  put  up  his  horse." 

"  How  he  does  run  on ! "  laughed  Mother  Hawkins, 
as  her  husband,  after  his  jovial  introduction  of  the 
schoolmaster,  left  the  room. 

"  Come  right  into  the  sitting-room  and  I'll  light  the 
fire,"  she  continued.  "It's  all  made  and  ready,  but 
Josiah  don't  get  much  time  to  sit  down  till  after  dinner, 
and  I'm  in  the  kitchen  all  morning.  You'll  find  some 
books  here  you  may  like  to  look  at.  Wish  you  could 
get  to  see  us  oftener." 

"  You're  very  kind ;  I'd  like  to ;  perhaps  I  will  of  a 
Saturday  now  and  then,'  replied  Waters,  his  heart 
soothed  by  the  hearty  hospitality  of  these  people,  and 
especially  by  the  motherliness  in  the  good  woman's 
tone  and  manner. 

"  Do ! "  she  exclaimed,  "  and  I'll  have  some  of  the 
girls  here  to  dinner  if  you  like.  You  don't  see  much 
of  your  old  pupils  now,  do  you  ?  You  know  Lettie  's 
doing  wonders  with  those  children  of  hers.  They  fairly 
idolize  her.  Poor  little  Tilly  Whitmore  is  almost  heart- 
broken because  she  can't  go  to  school,  even  in  the 
sleigh,  these  stormy  days,  on  account  of  her  cough,  and 
Lettie,  tired  as  she  is  after  school,  goes  clear  out  to 
The  Corners  almost  every  other  day  to  visit  the  little 
mite.  She  says  she  owes  all  of  her  success  to  that 
child's  sweet  sympathy  and  comforting  on  the  first  day 
when  everything  was  going  wrong." 

"  I've  heard  great  accounts  of  Lettie's  school  several 
times  this  fall.  She's  a  plucky  girl,"  said  Waters,  forc- 
ing himself  to  take  an  interest  in  other  matters  than 
the  one  which  absorbed  him. 

"  Indeed,  she  is,"  assented  Mother  Hawkins.  "  She 
has  her  school  crowded  in  the  worst  weather,  and  I 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  141 

don't  know  what  she  will  do  when  spring  comes.  You 
wouldn't  believe  the  number  of  children  there  are 
around  Red-Keg.  Guess  we'll  have  to  build  a  school- 
house  soon." 

"  Yes,  you  need  one,  and  so  do  we  at  Midland,"  re- 
plied Waters. 

"  Guess  you'll  get  it  before  we  do.  I  hear  you  have 
Axcy  helping  you.  She's  another  smart  girl,  and  lively 
— my !  I  wonder  she  can  keep  serious  long  enough  to 
teach  lessons  all  day.  Really  now,  Mr.  Waters,  isn't 
she  more  of  a  distraction  than  a  help?  She's  so 
pretty " 

"  Axcy  is  a  perfect  success  as  a  teacher,  and  a  great 
help,"  interrupted  Waters,  hastily.  "  How  is  Norine  ? 
I  haven't  seen  her  since  last  spring." 

"The  dear  girl  is  at  home,  helping  her  mother, 
though  she  runs  over  to  see  me  almost  every  day  when 
it  doesn't  storm."  A  sudden  wistful  tenderness  crept 
into  Mother  Hawkins's  voice  as  she  spoke  of  the  girl 
who  had  been  as  a  daughter  to  her  ever  since  she  had 
come  to  the  farm.  The  poor  sorrowing  mother,  failing 
of  the  love  which  her  own  boy  seemed  unable  to  feel, 
and  yearning  for  that  giving  and  receiving  of  affection 
so  necessary  to  every  mother's  heart,  had  lavished  her 
love  upon  the  child  of  her  neighbor  and  friend  Mrs. 
Maloney,  and  found  joy  and  comfort  in  the  warm,  un- 
restrained affection  which  Norine  gave  her  in  return. 
Mrs.  Maloney,  sure  of  her  own  first  place  in  her  daugh- 
ter's heart,  never  felt  the  slightest  twinge  of  jealousy, 
but  declared  that  it  would  be  impossible  for  her  Norine 
to  be  loved  too  much.  If  God  saw  fit  to  give  her 
daughter  two  mothers,  she  would  say,  and  a  heart  big 
enough  to  love  them  both,  sure,  it  was  a  matter  to  be 
thankful  for,  like  all  the  other  blessings. 


142  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

"  She  is  a  very  clever  girl,  too,"  went  on  the  school- 
master. "  She  is  more  quiet  than  some,  but  very  faith- 
ful and  sweet-spirited.  You  must  find  the  Maloneys 
delightful  neighbors  in  every  way." 

"  Why,  they  are  our  most  intimate  friends,"  exclaimed 
Mother  Hawkins.  "  We  have  known  them  ever  since 
they  came  from  Ireland  with  Barney.  That  little  girl, 
— she  was  but  a  child  then — how  she  has  grown !  You 
may  wonder  at  me,  Mr.  Waters,  when  I  tell  you  that  I 
couldn't  love  an  own  daughter  better  than  I  do  her. 
Sometimes,  when  I  look  into  her  soft  brown  eyes,  with 
their  tender,  caressing  look,  and  kiss  her  rosy  cheeks, 
plump  and  fresh  as  a  ripe  cherry,  I  feel  as  if  she  really 
does  belong  to  me  after  all,  and  that  somehow  God 
made  a  mistake  in  giving  her  to  another  mother.  Then 
I  pray  Him  to  forgive  me  for  such  a  wicked  thought, 
and  thank  Him  that  he  has  filled  her  brimming  full  of 
love  and  lets  me  have  a  share  of  it." 

"I  imagine  Barney  would  like  a  share  of  it,  too, 
wouldn't  he  ? "  remarked  Waters,  with  a  faint  smile. 

"  To  be  sure  he  would,  and  he  has  it,  if  he  only  had 
the  gumption  to  see  it,  the  big  goose ! "  laughed  Mother 
Hawkins.  "  He  worships  the  ground  she  steps  on,  but 
he  mustn't  know  how  she  feels  toward  him  until  he 
sees  for  himself,  or  screws  up  the  courage  to  ask  her ; 
so  don't  you  tell  him  what  I  said.  Barney  is  a  good 
boy,"  she  added,  with  a  sigh.  If  only  she  could  say  the 
same  of  Sam. 

Farmer  Hawkins,  after  unharnessing  the  schoolmas- 
ter's horse  and  putting  him  snugly  into  a  warm  stall, 
had  finished  the  necessary  morning  chores,  brushed  up, 
and  now  returned  to  the  minister's  guest,  who,  for  a 
while,  would  be  his.  Mother  Hawkins  started  up  as 
she  saw  her  husband  at  the  door. 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  143 

"  Lands !  here  I  am  with  my  sleeves  up  and  my  hands 
rolled  in  my  apron,  gossipping  away  like  a  quilting-bee, 
and  my  work  all  standing  around  the  kitchen.  You 
come  right  in,  Pa,  and  sit  down  with  Mr.  Waters  till 
dinner-time,"  and  with  a  smile  and  flurry  of  gingham 
apron  the  good  woman  disappeared  through  the  door 
which  led  to  her  domestic  laboratory. 

"  So  this  is  your  day  off,  is  it,  Mr.  Waters,"  said 
Farmer  Hawkins,  as  he  adjusted  the  drafts  of  the  stove 
and  sat  down  opposite  the  schoolmaster.  "  I'm  taking 
a  holiday  myself  to-day  on  account  of  Robert's  coming. 
Ought  to  be  down  to  the  mill,  you  know;  but,  really, 
I'm  not  needed  much,  Barney  looks  after  everything  so 
well.  He  knows  the  business  better  than  I  do,  but  I 
play  boss  some  days." 

Hawkins  stretched  out  his  legs  to  the  fire  and  set- 
tled more  comfortably  in  his  chair,  with  a  genial  smile 
at  his  guest.  The  thought  of  Barney  always  gave  him 
a  contented  feeling,  when  it  was  not  coupled  with  a 
thought  of  his  own  wayward  son.  Waters  assented 
politely,  but  ventured  no  remark,  and  the  farmer  pres- 
ently exclaimed,  as  a  new  idea  came  to  him : 

"  By  the  way,  have  you  seen  anything  of  Jim  Gyde 
lately  ?  He  quit  work  about  a  week  ago,  without  giving 
us  any  reason.  Barney  said  something  seemed  to  be 
troubling  him." 

"He  came  back  to  school  last  Monday,"  replied 
Waters. 

"  Well,  well !  that  is  surprising,"  said  Hawkins,  with 
a  laugh.  "  He  is  hardly  the  man  I  should  expect  to 
throw  up  a  good  job  to  tackle  school-books.  I'm  afraid 
he's  too  restless  to  stick  to  anything  long,  and  yet  it's 
too  bad  to  see  such  good  raw  material  going  to  waste." 

"  He  means  business  this  time,  apparently,"  replied 


144  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

Waters.  "  He  has  been  digging  along  furiously,  and, 
as  I  told  him  yesterday,  has  done  more  this  week  than 
he  ever  did  before  in  a  year." 

"You  don't  tell  me!"  cried  Farmer  Hawkins  in 
genuine  surprise.  "  Something  must  have  moved  him 
mightily.  Barney  evidently  was  right  when  he  said  Jim 
had  something  on  his  mind.  How  do  you  account  for 
it,  Mr.  Waters  ? " 

"  He  has  suddenly  discovered  the  hidden  man  in  him 
— his  plus  identity,  you  might  say — which,  moved  by 
new  purposes,  and  armed  with  pluck  and  potency  of 
will,  starts  out  to  subdue  difficulties,  and  create  a  place 
for  itself.  Who  shall  attempt  to  explain  it  ?  God  uses 
the  chance  word,  sometimes,  to  startle  such  a  slumber- 
ing giant  into  life." 

"Just  so,"  said  Hawkins,  with  a  sigh;  "the  chance 
word;  while  the  fervent,  agonizing  prayers  of  father 
and  mother  sometimes  go  on  for  many  years  unan- 
swered. Why  is  it  ?  Why  is  it  ? " 

The  question  was  not  addressed  to  Mr.  Waters.  It 
was  murmured  in  a  low,  musing  tone,  as  an  oft-repeated 
soliloquy  which  the  anxious  father  had  found  very  bit- 
ter to  the  taste,  and  which  sorely  tried  his  sturdy  faith 
in  the  availing  power  of  prayer.  For  some  time  neither 
man  spoke.  Waters  took  up  a  book  and  tried  to  read, 
but  his  mind  would  not  admit  other  subjects  than  the 
one  which  had  brought  him  in  search  of  Parson  Allen. 
The  delay  in  seeing  him,  and  the  conversation  with 
Farmer  Hawkins  and  his  wife  had  made  him  begin  to 
question  the  wisdom  of  confiding  his  difficulty  with 
even  such  a  man  as  Allen.  Could  any  man,  whoever 
he  might  be,  dictate  acceptably  the  course  he  should 
pursue  in  so  personal  an  affair  of  the  heart  and  the 
conscience?  Did  not  his  very  manliness  and  self- 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  145 

respect  demand  that  he  should  fight  his  fight  out  alone  ? 
If  the  issue  should  be  against  him,  no  one  else  would 
share  the  responsibility.  What  man  living  was  there 
who  could  enter  into  his  inmost  soul  and  understand 
his  feelings  and  his  motives  well  enough  to  help  him 
to  the  right  decision  ?  During  the  long  forenoon,  he 
debated  this  new  phase  of  the  question.  Farmer  Haw- 
kins and  Mother  Hawkins  came  and  went,  and  endeav- 
ored to  entertain  him,  but  he  could  not  rouse  himself 
long  from  his  abstraction  to  display  genuine  interest  in 
their  kindly  attentions.  Finally  Mother  Hawkins, 
with  her  woman's  intuition,  took  her  husband  aside  and 
said: 

"Better  let  him  alone,  Josiah.  He  came  to  see 
Robert,  and  there's  something  on  his  mind  that  he 
can't  get  rid  of  till  then.  Just  let  him  be." 

Allen  came  soon  after  noon,  and  dinner,  which  had 
been  delayed  somewhat  in  hope  of  his  arrival,  was 
speedily  announced.  Waters  had  concluded  to  keep 
his  own  counsel  and  work  out  his  own  salvation  as  best 
he  might.  He  responded,  therefore,  to  the  minister's 
friendly  greeting  without  restraint,  and  joined  with 
the  others  more  freely  in  the  chat  of  the  dinner-table. 
After  the  meal  was  finished,  Farmer  Hawkins  remem- 
bered an  errand  to  John  Maloney's  which  required  im- 
mediate attention.  His  good  wife  retired  to  help  her 
woman  in  the  kitchen,  leaving  the  minister  and  the 
schoolmaster  to  enjoy  each  other's  company  alone. 

"  You've  only  been  in  this  part  of  the  country  a  year 
or  less,  haven't  you,  Mr.  Waters  ? "  asked  the  minister. 
"  Did  you  ever  see  a  logging-camp  in  full  swing  ?  If 
not,  you  must  come  up  to  Mr.  Hawkins's  place  some- 
time and  watch  the  men.  It's  an  inspiration.  They 
work  as  if  their  lives  depended  upon  getting  the  great- 
10 


146  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

est  possible  number  of  logs  to  the  mill  before  sun- 
down.  They  are  a  stalwart,  happy,  true-hearted  set 
of  men." 

"  I  should  enjoy  seeing  the  camp,  immensely,"  said 
Waters,  "but  I  am  usually  busy  at  the  same  time 
your  loggers  are,  and  it  has  never  occurred  to  me  to 
run  away  from  my  work  to  inspect  theirs." 

"  What's  the  matter  with  taking  a  jaunt  up  to  the 
camp  now  ? "  exclaimed  Allen,  with  animation.  "  You 
have  the  afternoon,  and  so  have  I.  Hawkins  has  de- 
serted us,  and  the  boys  will  be  glad  to  see  us  both.  I 
expect  to  preach  up  there  to-morrow.  Let's  go  and 
look  over  the  ground  now." 

The  minister's  enthusiastic  suggestion  met  a  ready 
approval.  Having  abandoned  his  original  purpose, 
Waters  was  at  a  loss  to  account  for  his  unexpected 
visit,  and  was  glad  to  occupy  the  afternoon  with  some 
definite  enterprise.  Accordingly,  making  their  excuses 
to  Mother  Hawkins,  and  promising  to  return  for  sup- 
per or  stay  to  eat  the  meal  in  the  cook's  den  at  camp, 
as  inclination  prompted,  the  two  men  departed  on  foot 
through  the  snow  for  the  shingle-mill  in  the  woods. 
Although  fully  aware  of  the  fact  that  Waters  had 
driven  eight  miles  from  Midland  in  the  early  morning, 
especially  to  find  him,  and  recognizing  the  probability 
that  this  unusual  performance  betokened  some  particu- 
lar errand,  Allen  betrayed  no  curiosity,  but  left  the 
schoolmaster  free  to  choose  his  own  time  and  manner 
for  introducing  the  topic  of  his  concern.  He  did  not 
dream  that  that  topic  was  the  very  one  Waters  had  re- 
solved not  to  introduce. 

"  The  crew  at  Mr.  Hawkins's  camp  is  made  up  almost 
wholly  of  his  friends  and  neighbors,  I  understand,"  said 
the  schoolmaster.  "  It  must  be  very  pleasant  for  all 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  147 

hands,  if  too  much  sociability  does  not  interfere  with 
the  work." 

"  On  the  contrary,  it  spurs  them  to  greater  endeav- 
or," replied  Allen.  "  Every  one  of  them  would  give 
his  right  hand  for  Uncle  Si,  as  they  call  him.  He  has 
endeared  himself  in  unnumbered  ways  to  them  all. 
Then  there's  Barney.  He  stirs  them  up  like  a  streak 
of  lightning.  He  loves  Uncle  Si  as  a  father." 

"  It's  a  wonder  Mr.  Hawkins's  own  son  doesn't  take 
a  hand  in  the  work,"  said  Waters.  "  One  would  think 
he  would  welcome  such  an  opportunity,  on  his  own 
father's  property,  to  get  a  practical  training.  They 
say  he  doesn't  care  much  for  work  of  any  kind." 

The  minister's  face  clouded. 

"  It  is  a  wonder,"  he  admitted,  gravely.  "  If  ever  a 
boy  preferred  husks  to  the  meat  of  his  father's  table, 
Sam  is  such  a  boy.  I  had  earnest  hopes  for  him  at  one 
time  last  spring,  but  the  coming  of  two  careless  fellows 
with  whom  he  had  been  intimate  in  college,  destroyed, 
at  least  for  the  time,  the  impulse  in  the  right  direction 
which  seemed  to  have  sprung  into  life." 

"  It  seems  to  me  I've  heard  about  those  boys,"  re- 
plied Waters.  "  Seward  Rathaway  is  with  them,  too, 
isn't  he?  They  call  themselves 'The  Invincibles,'  I 
believe." 

"  Yes,  though  what  they  are  invincible  in  I  can  not 
guess,  unless  it  be  in  their  determination  to  shun  all 
honest  work.  They  were  inseparable  all  summer  and 
fall,  and  stayed  away  most  of  the  time  in  the  woods. 
Some  say  they  were  not  as  idle  as  they  appeared.  As 
nearly  as  I  could  find  out,  they  have  fitted  up  an  old 
hunting-lodge  and  intend  to  hunt  and  trap  on  a  large 
scale  next  year.  Well,  I  suppose  that  is  better  than 
doing  nothing.  The  most  discouraging  feature  is  the 


148  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

intimacy  they  seem  to  have  formed  with  the  Red-Keg 
saloon-keeper,  Pete." 

"  Is  there  no  way  of  breaking  up  this  little  clique  of 
so-called  '  Invincibles,'  if  it  stands  in  the  way  of  inter- 
esting Sam  in  something  better  ? "  asked  Waters,  some- 
what vaguely.  He  felt  hardly  equal  to  wrestling  with 
another  problem  just  now,  but  he  recognized  the  great 
interest  Allen  took  in  Sam's  welfare.  "  Seward  is  a 
very  clever  chap,  also,"  he  continued,  "  and  he  would 
soon  settle  into  something  worth  while  if  wrong  influ- 
ences could  be  withdrawn." 

"  I  believe  so,  with  all  my  heart,"  agreed  Allen ;  "  but 
I  have  sought  in  vain  thus  far  for  some  means  to  coun- 
teract the  wrong  influences.  It  is  hard  to  say  what 
should  be  done." 

"These  two  boys — what  are  their  names — come 
from  some  distant  States,  do  they  not  ? "  asked  Waters. 
"  Could  you  not  write,  or  Mr.  Hawkins,  to  their  par- 
ents and  kindly  advise  them  to  keep  the  boys  at 
home?" 

"  Perhaps,"  said  the  minister,  doubtfully.  "  It  might 
not  accomplish  the  desired  end,  however,  and  if  it  came 
to  the  ears  of  the  boys  themselves,  might  do  more 
harm  than  good.  A  way,  the  right  way,  will  be  pro- 
vided, if  God  wills,  sooner  or  later.  It  is  a  comfort  to 
know  that  we  do  not  need  to  solve  all  the  perplexities 
of  life,  even  the  ones  that  concern  us  most  closely,  but 
that  they  can  be  safely  left  to  a  higher  power  to  solve 
for  us — yes,  and  the  right  answer  reached,  where  we 
too  often  would  reach  the  wrong  one.  There  is  One 
who  knows  the  end  from  the  beginning,  and  He  can 
take  our  snarled  affairs  and  make  them  straight.  You 
know  the  saying  that  'man's  extremity  is  God's  oppor- 
tunity.' After  doing  our  best  we  can  remember  that 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  149 

'it  is  good  that  a  man  should  both  hope  and  quietly 
wait  for  the  salvation  of  the  Lord.' " 

Waters  listened  to  the  minister  with  a  strange  thrill. 
Surely  here  was  the  answer  he  had  been  groping  for 
during  the  past  twenty-four  unhappy  hours.  How 
simple  and  inevitable  it  all  seemed.  There  could  be 
no  other  answer.  Without  a  doubt  he  had  been  sent 
to  Robert  Allen  to  receive  it.  What  mattered  that  he 
had  not  told  him  of  his  trouble  ?  Allen  had  been  giv- 
en his  message  to  deliver.  Must  he  not  deliver  it  just 
the  same,  even  if  the  one  for  whom  it  was  intended  kept 
silent?  Waters  turned  to  the  minister  with  shining 
eyes. 

"  You  are  right— God  bless  you,"  was  all  he  said,  but 
peace  had  entered  his  soul. 

The  trip  to  camp  was  an  enjoyable  event.  Barney 
and  the  other  men  welcomed  them  hilariously.  They 
stayed  to  "grub"  in  the  cook's  den,  and  shared  the 
"wash"  and  the  "chuck"  with  the  lumbermen  on 
equal  terms.  Waters  inspected  the  shanties,  the  mill, 
the  stables,  the  tools,  the  newly  cut  logs,  the  roads 
through  the  snow — everything  connected  with  the 
work  of  logging  and  shingle-cutting — with  all  the  en- 
thusiastic interest  of  one  who  has  never  seen  these 
things  before.  Allen  noted  his  companion's  changed 
demeanor  and  shrewdly  guessed  that  his  errand  had 
been  achieved  in  some  mysterious  manner.  Late  that 
evening  they  returned  to  the  farm  and  meekly  bore  the 
mock  reproof  of  Farmer  Hawkins  for  running  away 
from  him  when  he  had  taken  a  holiday  especially  to 
entertain  his  guest.  To  make  up  for  it  he  insisted  that 
Waters  should  stay  over  night  and  hear  Allen  preach 
to  the  men  in  the  forenoon.  He  could  drive  home  at 
his  leisure  after  dinner.  The  schoolmaster  consented, 


ISO  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

although  he  thought  to  himself  that  nothing  the  minis- 
ter could  say  on  the  morrow  would  help  him  more  than 
the  brief  message  he  had  delivered,  all  unknowingly,  to 
him  that  day.  His  course  was  clear  now.  He  would 
not  attempt  to  decide  between  his  duty  to  Jim  and  his 
duty  to  himself.  He  would  certainly  perform  to  the 
full  his  duty  to  Jim,  as  he  saw  it,  but  that  duty  did  not 
include  any  unnecessary  or  conspicuous  self-effacement. 
On  the  other  hand,  he  would  take  no  advantage  him- 
self that  would  imperil  any  happiness  that  might  be 
rightly  Jim's.  Axcy  should  be  free  to  choose  between 
them,  uninfluenced  for  or  against,  so  far  as  he  was  con- 
cerned, and  let  Providence  decide  the  issue.  In  no 
other  way  could  Waters  feel  conscience-free. 

Through  the  months  that  followed,  he  had  many 
anxious  days  and  nights,  but  on  the  whole  he  adhered 
faithfully  to  his  resolve.  Jim  made  rapid  progress  in 
his  studies,  and  in  the  general  development  of  a  manlier 
character.  He  paid  no  aggressive  suit  to  Axcy.  He 
was  biding  his  time,  unaware  that  anything  in  her  or 
another  was  working  against  him.  Whether  or  not 
the  quick-witted  girl  divined  anything  of  the  situation 
with  regard  to  her  two  silent  rivals,  she  maintained  an 
undisturbed  balance,  and  bestowed  her  gracious  favor 
impartially  upon  both.  Without  apparent  planning 
she  managed  to  go  to  social  gatherings,  such  as  the 
Christmas-tree  party  at  the  Hawkins  farm,  the  quilting- 
bees,  the  husking  parties,  the  dances,  etc.,  in  company 
with  Lettie  Green  or  Norine  Maloney,  and  her  friends 
never  guessed  that  two  of  the  best-known  men  of  the 
region  would  have  given  all  they  had  to  assert  the  right 
to  be  her  escort  for  all  time. 


CHAPTER  X 

"  HELLO,  there,  Sam !  I've  been  huntine  for  you," 
cried  Seward  Rathaway,  as  he  spied  Sam  Hawkins 
coming  out  of  Jake  Vogel's  store  and  Post-Office  one 
morning,  late  in  November,  of  the  following  year. 

Sam  started,  and  thrust  a  letter  hastily  into  his 
pocket. 

"  I'm  not  so  hard  to  find  as  to  need  much  hunting, 
am  I  ? "  he  said,  crossly. 

"  Well,  now,  you  needn't  get  mad,"  replied  Seward. 
"  I  have  important  news,  and  we  must  get  together  at 
once  and  decide  what  to  do.  Uncle  Sam  has  taken  jt 
into  his  head  to  send  a  little  bevy  of  sleuths  on  a  trip 
through  this  neighborhood  to  try  to  locate  a  certain 
*  Mystic  Brand '  whose  fame  seems  to  have  spread  be- 
yond our  humble  domain.  I  just  got  the  tip  from  Pete. 
He  thinks  there  are  three  of  them  in  all.  One  chap 
— sort  of  an  early  bird  trying  to  catch  the  worm — is 
here  now,  down  at  Pete's  " 

Sam  paled  for  an  instant  as  he  heard  Seward's  state- 
ment ;  then,  with  an  air  of  bravado,  he  exclaimed,  with 
a  short  laugh : 

"So!  on  to  us,  are  they?  Well,  we're  ready  for 
them,  aren't  we  ?  Where  are  Walt  and  Billy  ? " 

"  They're  out  at  Mystic  Isle.  We  better  go  out  and 
talk  it  over.  Don't  let  that  chap  in  Pete's  see  us, 
though  he's  more  than  likely  asleep  by  now,  after  his 
nice  little  tramp  last  night." 


152  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

"  What  tramp  ?  What  do  you  know  about  him,  any- 
how ? "  asked  Sam,  impatiently. 

"  Oh,  he  walked  down  from  Beaverton,  a  little  mat- 
ter of  thirty  miles  or  so,"  laughed  Seward.  "  Pete  told 
me  the  whole  story.  It's  a  good  one,  but  rather  long. 
Wait  till  the  other  boys  can  hear.  I  don't  want  to  tell 
it  twice." 

About  noon  Sam  and  Seward  arrived,  tired  and  hun- 
gry, at  their  secret  resort  on  Mystic  Isle.  During  the 
two  seasons  that  Walter  Hayward  and  Billy  Axford 
had  been  with  them,  the  large  caves  on  the  island  had 
been  comfortably  fitted  up  for  living  purposes,  and 
other  improvements  had  been  made,  Walt  and  Billy 
supplying  the  needed  cash.  The  old  blind  negro  and 
his  wife,  who  served  them  at  college,  had  been  installed 
as  caretakers  and  cook,  and  were  faithfully  devoted  to 
the  interests  and  comfort  of  their  young  masters.  The 
whole  establishment  was  sufficiently  novel  and  in  con- 
trast to  the  ordinary  affairs  and  environments  of  the 
Red-Keg  section  to  please  even  Sam's  contemptuous 
fancy.  Walt  and  Billy  were  eating  a  substantial  din- 
ner prepared  by  old  Sue,  when  Sam  and  Seward  broke 
in  upon  them.  After  acquainting  the  former  with  the 
facts,  the  two  late-comers  joined  in  the  repast.  The 
story  as  told  by  Seward  was  in  substance  about  as 
follows : 

Jack  Mann  had  been  repeatedly  to  the  North  Shore 
for  consignments  of  the  "  Mystic  Brand."  He  did  not 
know  nor  care  who  placed  it  there  nor  whence  it  came. 
All  he  knew  was  that  through  the  agency  of  Pete  some- 
one paid  him  well  to  take  loads  of  corn  to  a  certain  out- 
of-the-way  spot,  leave  them  there,  proceed  to  another 
cache  near  by,  pick  up  the  supply  of  "  My  stir  Brand," 
carry  it  further  up,  and  transfer  it  to  whomsoever 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  153 

might  be  waiting  with  the  proper  countersign.  Pete 
had  given  him  to  understand  that  the  continuance  of 
this  job,  and  the  certainty  of  pay,  depended  upon  keep- 
ing a  close  mouth.  He  drew  his  own  conclusions  and 
kept  mum ;  but  the  ease  of  his  work  and  the  immunity 
enjoyed  thus  far  had  made  him  a  little  careless.  Yes- 
terday he  had  taken  a  supply  of  the  goods  as  far  as 
Beaverton,  and  was  transferring  it  to  a  tote-team  in 
charge  of  a  French-Canadian  whom  he  had  met  before 
on  similar  occasions,  when  he  was  approached  by  an 
affable  fellow  who  took  him  into  the  tavern  and  plied 
him  with  drink.  As  usual,  Jack  became  loquacious, 
and  it  was  not  long  before  his  newly  made  friend  had 
secured  admissions  enough  to  hang  him,  if  hanging 
were  the  penalty  for  moonshining.  Pete  happened  to 
b*.  up  there,  and  he  spotted  the  fellow  at  once,  so  while 
the  sleuth  was  filling  Jack  up,  Pete  went  out  and  started 
the  tote-team  off  in  a  hurry.  By  the  time  Vidocq  got 
through  with  Jack,  there  was  only  the  confession  of  a 
drunken  man  left,  and  the  real  evidence  was  well  on  its 
way  toward  the  throats  of  a  thirsty  lot  of  French-Cana- 
dians at  Camp  Number  Ten,  away  up  on  the  Salt.  The 
fellow  looked  chagrined  when  he  discovered  that  he 
bad  been  tricked,  but  he  did  not  dare  to  make  any  pro- 
test. There  stood  Pete,  with  the  "  city  "  constable  by 
his  side,  each  smoking  villanous  pipes,  and  discussing 
the  prospects  for  a  good  cutting  of  logs  for  the  winter. 

"  Excuse  me,"  said  the  sleuth,  "  but  did  you  see  which 
way  that  tote-team  went  that  was  out  here  just  now? " 

"  The  one  with  the  grey  and  the  black  hitched  to 
'er  ? "  asked  Pete,  innocently. 

"  Yes,  that's  the  one.    Which  way  did  it  go  ? " 

"Went  over  toward  Sixteen,  didn't  it,  Mack?"  Pete 
replied,  turning  to  his  friend  the  constable. 


154  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

"  Yas,"  drawled  Mack.  "The  feller's  nigh  over  to 
the  Ox  Bow  by  this  time.  He's  a  mighty  fast  traveller 
that.  What  did  ye  want  of  'im  ?  Goin'  along  deown 
his  way  ?  Ef  ye  want  ter  ketch  'im  it's  time  ye  were 
hurryin*  up,"  and  so  saying  Mack  turned  to  Pete  again, 
and  the  two  went  on  talking  just  as  though  nothing 
had  happened. 

"  Pardon  me  again,  but  can  I  get  a  teamster  to  drive 
me  over  to  the  Ox  Bow,  so  as  to  catch  that  man  before 
he  gets  any  farther  ? "  said  the  stranger,  again  address- 
ing the  constable. 

"Ye  mout  and  ye  mout  not,"  said  Mack,  drily. 
"  Leastwise  not  onless  ye  tell  me  what  ye  want  to  ketcn 
thet  feller  for.  Ef  ye  want  'im  to  take  ye  on  a  ride  up 
to  the  head  of  the  jam  er  thereabouts,  you'll  find  'im  a 
mighty  accomerdatin'  feller.  But  ef  ye're  after  'im  fer 
any — any — purpose  other'n  peaceful  ones  ye  mout  as 
well  tackle  a  catamount,  and  a  hungry  one  at  that,  as 
to  tackle  Pierre  Badeau ;  eh,  old  boy  ? "  turning  to  Pete. 

"  Betcher  life,"  said  Pete,  giving  a  vigorous  puff  at 
his  pipe. 

"But,  say,  my  friend,"  continued  Mack,  "ef  ye  need 
any  assistance  I'm  the  constable  hereabouts,  an'  mout 
be  of  sarvice  to  ye." 

They  palavered  for  some  time  in  this  manner,  and 
finally  the  stranger  said  he  thought,  as  it  was  getting 
late,  he  would  stay  at  the  tavern  all  night,  and  he  went 
inside  again,  expecting  to  find  Jack  dead  drunk,  lying 
on  the  bench  where  he  had  left  him.  He  was  dum- 
founded  to  find  that  his  supposed  prisoner  had  flown 
even  as  had  the  teamster.  He  was  nonplussed,  but 
dared  not  make  his  identity  known  as  yet.  He  had  in- 
tended merely  to  shadow  Jack,  and  at  the  right  time 
catch  him  when  he  could  scoop  in  the  gang  and  claim 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  155 

the  reward  of  a  thousand  dollars  offered  for  the  arrest 
and  conviction  of  the  offenders.  Except  for  the  watch- 
fulness of  Pete  and  some  of  Jack's  chums,  who  spirited 
him  away,  suspecting  that  a  trap  was  being  set  for  him 
by  the  oily  stranger,  his  plan  might  have  succeeded. 
As  it  was,  he  could  hardly  conceal  his  surprise  and 
chagrin. 

Suspicion  having  been  directed  to  him,  some  of  the 
fellows  loitering  around  the  bar  got  their  heads  to- 
gether and  held  a  conversation  in  low  tones  for  a  few 
moments,  after  which  one  of  their  number,  Jim  Lam- 
pheer,  or  "  Red,"  rawboned  and  lank,  stepped  out  from 
among  the  group,  and,  approaching  the  stranger  rather 
unceremoniously,  remarked : 

"  Ye  seem  to  be  a  stranger  'round  these  parts.  Mout 
I  ask  yer  business  ? " 

"  That's  a  great  deal  like  impertinence,  isn't  it  ? "  ob- 
served the  detective. 

"  Impertence  or  no  impertence,  we  want  ter  know 
yer  business,  an'  we're  goin'  ter  know  it,  too.  P'r'aps 
yer  mout  fust  tell  us  jes'  why  ye  got  thet  feller  drunk 
in  yere  a  little  while  ago  ? "  and  Red  Lampheer  came 
up  closer.  Looking  down  in  contempt  upon  the  now 
frightened  minion  of  the  law  he  continued  in  tones  that 
left  but  one  interpretation : 

"  We  know  who  ye  are.  Ye're  one  o'  them  sneakin', 
meddlesome  tenderfeet  as  comes  up  yere  'bout  once  a 
winter  spyin'  inter  other  folk's  business.  We're  goin' 
ter  give  ye  jest  ten  minutes  ter  git  outen  this  camp, 
an'  ef  we  ever  see  ye  agin  in  these  parts  we'll  run  ye 
through  a  rollway.  D'ye  understand  ? " 

"  But,  my  friend,  I  am  a  stranger  here,  and  there's 
no  stage  running  out  of  here  for  several  days— 

"Walkin's  good  enough  fer  the  likes  o'  you,  eh, 


156  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

pards  ? "  and  a  loud  roar  of  approval  emphasized  the 
necessity  for  prompt  action. 

"  Five  minutes,"  roared  Red,  and  the  detective  set 
about  preparing  for  his  hasty  departure.  When  the 
time  had  elapsed,  the  unwelcome  visitor  was  count- 
ing curves  on  the  Tittabawassee  pike  down  toward 
Red-Keg,  where  he  arrived  the  next  morning  after 
having  walked  the  entire  thirty  miles  during  the 
night. 

Pete  followed  on  horseback  about  a  mile  behind  the 
fellow  until  he  reached  the  Salt  Licks  trail,  and  then 
he  deviated  off  on  that  and  arrived  at  the  Keg  ahead 
of  the  chap.  Seward  was  at  the  tavern  when  Pete 
arrived,  and  was  at  once  made  acquainted  with  the  cir- 
cumstances. Then  Pete  shaved  up,  changed  his 
clothes,  and  went  to  bed  for  a  little  sleep.  When  he 
thought  it  was  time  for  the  fellow  to  arrive  he  took  a 
chair  with  Seward  out  on  the  veranda  and  waited.  He 
knew  if  the  stranger  came  to  Red-Keg,  his  was  the 
only  place  at  which  he  could  put  up,  as  the  lumber- 
men's boarding-houses  were  full,  so  he  and  Walt  waited 
with  easy  assurance.  They  were  soon  rewarded  by 
seeing  the  man  coming  down  the  road.  He  was  tired 
and  muddy;  but  as  he  approached,  his  countenance 
lighted  up,  and,  reaching  out  his  hand  to  Pete,  said,  very 
cordially,  but  with  surprise  in  his  voice : 

"  How  in  the  world  did  you  get  here  ?  You  surely 
never  passed  me  on  the  road,  for  I  walked  like  one  pos- 
sessed. How  did  you  get  here  ahead  of  me  ? " 

"Guess  ye  must  be  mistaken,  pard,"  replied  Pete, 
as  he  took  the  man's  outstretched  hand.  "  I've  never 
seen  ye  afore;  but  I  don't  mind  shakin'  the  hand  of  a 
stranger.  Come  in  an'  have  a  nip ;  ye  look  tired.  My 
friend,  Mr.  Rathaway,"  turning  to  Seward.  "Come 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  157 

in,  gentlemen,  and  let's  have  suthin',"  and  Pete  led  the 
way  into  the  saloon. 

"  Surely  I  saw  you,  or  your  ghost,  or  your  double,  up 
the  road,"  remarked  the  stranger,  wiping  his  mouth. 

"  Where  wus  ye  ? "  queried  Pete. 

"At  Beaverton,  thirty  miles  up  the  road." 

"  Ha,  ha,  ha !  Ye're  not  the  fust  one  to  be  fooled 
thet  way.  Ye  see,  we're  brothers— twins— an'  our 
mother  couldn't  tell  us  apart.  Well,  thet's  another  on 
me,"  whereupon  Pete  took  down  his  best  bottle  for  the 
stranger. 

"  Ye  don't  mean  to  say  ye've  hoofed  it  down  f rum 
Beaverton  in  the  night,  do  ye  ? "  went  on  Pete,  taking 
an  apparent  interest  in  the  fellow. 

"That's  what  I  did,"  he  replied. 

"  What  d'ye  do  thet  f er  ? "  persisted  Pete. 

"  Well,  you  see  I  came  across  there  from  Sixteen  by 
way  of  a  friendly  tote-team.  I'm  simply  travelling 
through  this  pine  wilderness  with  a  view  to  hunting  up 
some  possible  paying  properties  to  buy,  and  also  to 
have  a  little  outing.  I  didn't  seem  to  make  a  very 
good  impression  up  there,  and  so " 

"  I  see,  I  see,"  broke  in  Pete,  with  another  of  his 
guffaws,  "  an'  ye  were  invited  to  leave !  Ye're  not  the 
fust  one  treated  thet  way  up  to  Beaverton.  They're 
kind  o'  exclusive  like,  an'  don't  take  kindly  to  stran- 
gers. But  ye'll  find  it  different  here 't  the  Kag.  We're 
all  cosmopolitern  like,  an*  here's  one  o'  the  jolliest  fel- 
lers you'll  ever  meet.  Shake  again  with  Mr.  Ratha- 
way.  Ef  ye  stay  long  hereabouts,  he  an'  his  pals  '11 
show  ye  'round  in  style,  eh,  Seward  ? " 

Seward  was  quick  to  take  advantage  of  the  opening 
so  cleverly  provided  by  Pete,  and  replied,  heartily : 

"  Certainly,  I  shall  be  glad  to  show  this  gentleman 


158  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

around  if  he  is  looking  for  a  good  time.  We  have  a 
nice  stretch  of  hunting  woods,  and  if  you  are  anything 
of  a  huntsman  we  will  give  you  lots  of  fun." 

The  stranger  declared  he  would  be  delighted — that 
he  would  probably  remain  in  the  neighborhood  several 
weeks,  and  that  he  considered  himself  fortunate  indeed 
to  have  fallen  into  such  agreeable  company. 

"  But  for  the  present  moment,"  he  exclaimed,  "  I  am 
most  interested  in  the  wants  of  the  inner  man,  and  I 
must  ask  if  I  can  get  something  to  eat.  I  am  about 
famished." 

"  Certainly,"  said  Pete,  "  breakfast  is  still  on ;  come 
into  the  dinin'  room  an*  fill  up.  In  the  mean  time  ef 
ye'll  give  me  yer  name.  We  don't  keep  no  register. 
I  jest  keep  the  names  in  my  head." 

"My  name  is  Barker — James  Barker,  from  New 
York." 

"  Long  ways  frum  hum,  eh  ? " 

"  Yes,  rather  far.  This  is  my  first  visit  to  the  lum- 
berwoods,"  he  volunteered,  following  Pete  into  the 
tavern. 

Seward  waited  around  until  Barker  came  out  from 
breakfast  and  then  told  him  he  would  see  him  the  next 
afternoon  and  introduce  him  to  his  friends.  Then  as 
soon  as  the  man  retired  to  his  room  to  rest  after  his 
fatiguing  tramp,  Seward  hastened  to  acquaint  the  other 
boys  with  the  situation. 

"  Well,  we're  up  against  it,"  said  Sam,  after  Seward 
had  told  his  story.  "  Now  the  question  is,  how  shall 
we  throw  the  chumps  off  the  scent  ? " 

"  We  must  get  out  to  the  old  lumber-shanty  over 
on  the  Salt,  and  have  that  for  headquarters  while 
this  gentleman  is  around,"  said  Seward.  "We  will 
fit  it  up  as  a  hunting-lodge  the  same  as  we  did  last 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  159 

year,  and  when  we  are  out  on  a  tramp  we'll  take  him 
there." 

It  was  agreed  that  Seward  and  Walt  should  go  to 
the  Keg  on  the  following  day  for  the  purpose  of  enter- 
taining the  visitor.  Sam  and  Billy  were  to  repair  to 
the  lumber-shanty  and  prepare  it  for  habitation.  Sew- 
ard and  Walt  were  to  come  out  that  way  in  a  day 
or  two  and  bring  Mr.  Barker,  who  was  to  be  tendered 
the  freedom  of  the  place.  Accordingly,  about  noon 
the  next  day,  Seward  and  Walt  started  on  their  re- 
turn trip  to  the  Keg,  reaching  there  by  three  o'clock. 
Barker  was  sitting  on  the  veranda  in  front  of  Pete's 
place,  talking  with  the  proprietor.  As  the  boys  came 
up,  he  arose  to  meet  them,  and  Seward  introduced 
Walt. 

"  Sorry  I  couldn't  find  Sam  Hawkins  and  Billy  Ax- 
ford,"  he  explained,  "  but  I  learned  this  morning  that 
they  had  gone  off  on  a  hunt  and  might  not  be  back  for 
two  or  three  days.  They  are  nice  fellows,  just  the 
kind  to  go  out  running  deer  with.  Sam  is  a  little  in- 
clined to  be  egotistical,  but  we  all  have  our  failings. 
You  will  like  him  when  you  know  him.  We  four  were 
chums  at  college,  and  we  have  formed  an  alliance  since 
we  graduated  that  has  afforded  us  much  pleasure,  and 
as  you  are  out  here  for  pleasure  we  may  as  well  help  to 
make  your  stay  as  pleasant  as  possible." 

"  That  is  very  kind  of  you,  I  am  sure,"  replied  Bar- 
ker. "  I  shall  be  delighted  to  meet  your  friend.  What 
kind  of  game  do  you  find  in  this  region  ? " 

"  Nearly  everything  from  squirrel  to  bear,  and  from 
jack-rabbit  to  deer.  There  are  plenty  of  raccoons, 
wolves,  wildcats,  wolverines,  and  porcupines  in  the 
woods,  as  well  as  beaver  and  otter.  If  you  care  to  go 
out  with  us  we  can  be  sure  of  good  sport,  and  very 


160  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

likely  may  run  across  Sam  and  Billy  at  our  hunting- 
lodge  up  on  the  Big  Salt." 

Barker  expressed  his  readiness  to  join  them  at  the 
earliest  possible  opportunity,  and  it  was  agreed  that 
they  should  start  for  the  hunting  ground  on  the  follow- 
ing day. 

Before  evening  a  heavy  rain  set  in,  and  for  a  time 
threatened  to  cause  a  postponement  of  the  trip.  The 
Invincibles  welcomed  the  downpour  because  it  would 
obliterate  all  tracks  leading  in  an  inconvenient  direc- 
tion. Toward  morning,  however,  the  rain  ceased,  and 
the  air  became  cold  and  crisp,  Seward  and  Walt 
sought  Pete's  place  early  in  the  forenoon,  where  Barker 
joined  them  in  a  few  minutes,  announcing  himself  as 
ready  for  anything. 

"  Ye  oughter  hev  different  togs  than  them,"  ejacu- 
lated Pete,  as  he  eyed  the  amateur  Nimrod  with  looks 
of  disapproval. 

"  These  are  all  I  have.  I  couldn't  take  my  baggage 
across  to  Beaverton  from  Sixteen,  and  so  it  is  there  yet. 
I  have  ordered  it  sent  here,  however,  for  I  think  I  shall 
be  pretty  well  contented  in  this  hospitable  hamlet  for 
a  few  weeks." 

"  Them  store  clothes  o'  yourn  wouldn't  last  till  ye 
got  out  to  Sturgeon  slough,  even  goin'  by  the  State 
road,  say  nothin'  o'  goin'  through  the  timber,  as  ye 
orter,"  again  insisted  Pete. 

"  Pete  is  right,  Mr.  Barker.  You'd  better  try  to  get 
a  suit  more  like  ours,"  added  Seward.  "  Perhaps  Pete 
has  something  he  could  lend  you  for  the  present." 

"  Yas,  I  can  let  him  have  the  rig  as  belonged  to  thet 
feller  as  was  all  chawed  up  in  the  rollway  last  year. 
He  was  about  your  size,  an'  I  'low,  you  won't  mind 
usin'  'em,  will  ye  ?  He  had  all  his  duds  at  my  place, 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  161 

an*  no  one  hes  ever  claimed  'em,  so  you  mout  as  well 
put  'em  on,  eh  ? " 

Barker  consented,  and  in  a  short  time  reappeared 
with  more  suitable  hunting  apparel,  whereupon  the  trio 
immediately  set  out  for  the  woods.  They  followed 
along  the  bank  of  the  Tittabawassee  for  several  miles, 
ate  their  lunch  about  noon,  and  then  struck  into  the 
woods  to  the  northward  in  the  direction  of  the  lodge 
provided  for  the  occasion.  Through  brambles,  briers, 
fallen  logs,  swamps,  and  upturned  roots,  the  party 
wended  its  way  for  four  or  five  hours,  until  from  sheer 
exhaustion  Barker  dropped  upon  a  log  and  declared 
that  he  must  rest. 

"You  mustn't  give  out  yet,"  said  Seward.  "We 
have  still  three  miles  to  go  before  we  reach  the  lodge. 
There  you  can  have  a  good  night's  rest.  So  keep  up 
courage." 

"  I  suppose  I  must.  Don't  you  get  tired,  or  lose  your 
way?" 

"  Oh,  no.  When  we  first  came  we  did,  sometimes ; 
but  now  you  can  neither  lose  nor  tire  us.  If  we 
should  leave  you  here  you  would  never  get  out  in  the 
world.  Can  you  tell  in  which  direction  you  are  now 
going  ? " 

"  Not  for  the  life  of  me.  As  nearly  as  I  can  guess, 
we  have  been  proceeding  southward,  have  we  not  ? " 

"Just  the  opposite,"  said  Seward.  "See  the  moss 
growing  upon  the  bark  of  these  black-ash  trees  ?  Do 
you  notice  that  it  extends  only  about  half-way  around 
the  trunk  ? " 

"Yes." 

"  Well,  there  you  have  the  woodsman's  compass.  The 
side  showing  the  moss  is  to  the  north." 

"Well,  I  declare,  I  never  knew  that  before.    It  is 

IX 


162  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

wonderful  how  nature  provides  even  a  compass  for  the 
use  of  man  in  the  wilderness,"  exclaimed  Barker. 

It  was  getting  so  close  to  sundown  now  that  the 
boys  urged  their  guest  to  another  effort,  and  off  they 
started  toward  the  camp.  These  three  toilsome  miles 
nearly  finished  the  tenderfoot,  who  had  not  yet  recov- 
ered from  the  effects  of  his  thirty-mile  tramp  from 
Beaverton;  but  the  boys,  while  pretending  to  sympa- 
thize with  his  evident  suffering,  were  inwardly  chuck- 
ling at  the  ruse  they  were  playing,  and  the  fun  they 
were  having  at  his  expense.  At  length,  as  they  ar- 
rived at  the  clearing,  in  the  centre  of  which  stood  the 
lodge,  the  poor  fellow  gave  a  cry  of  satisfaction,  remark- 
ing that  if  it  had  been  an  Indian  camp,  or  a  bear's  den, 
he  would  have  welcomed  it,  for  he  was  ready  to  drop 
from  exhaustion. 

Sam  and  Billy  were  waiting  for  them,  and  Barker 
was  introduced  with  due  ceremony,  after  which  he 
begged  to  be  allowed  to  rest,  and  was  at  once  put  to 
bed  in  a  "  bunk  "  on  the  wall.  Daylight  came,  eight, 
nine,  ten  o'clock,  and  still  he  slumbered.  The  boys 
had  been  up  since  sunrise  skirmishing  for  breakfast. 
When  Barker  finally  began  to  bestir  himself,  he  found 
that  he  was  lame  in  every  joint.  His  feet  were  swollen, 
and  he  felt  generally  the  worse  for  wear,  he  said,  but 
was  greatly  interested  in  his  surroundings.  The  in- 
terior of  the  old  log  shack  had  been  fitted  up  gorgeously 
with  skins  of  all  kinds.  The  logs  had  been  well 
"  chinked  "  and  filled  with  moss.  Deer  antlers  were 
numerous,  and  several  bear  heads  scowled  down  from 
the  walls. 

Barker's  nostrils  caught  the  smell  of  a  savory  steak 
being  broiled  in  the  old  fireplace  at  the  far  end  of  the 
shanty,  and  this  served  to  recall  his  slumbering  appe- 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  163 

tite.  He  was  the  guest  of  a  lot  of  jolly  boys,  and  he 
was  as  much  interested  in  Sam  and  Billy  as  he  had 
been  in  Seward  and  Walt.  He  partook  ravenously  of 
the  steak  and  called  for  a  second  portion,  which  he  de- 
voured with  undiminished  relish.  When  informed  that 
it  had  been  taken  from  the  choice  quarter  of  a  bear  he 
was  somewhat  incredulous.  To  prove  their  assertion 
they  took  him  outside  the  cabin  and  there  exhibited 
the  carcass  of  bruin,  who  had  been  sacrificed  the  day 
before.  Barker  agreed  that  the  steak  was  most  deli- 
cate, and  expressed  his  willingness  to  be  fed  upon  it 
indefinitely. 

"  How  long  have  you  been  in  this  paradise  of  Nim- 
rods  ? "  he  asked,  after  he  had  taken  a  mental  picture 
of  all  the  surroundings. 

"  Oh,  we  have  occupied  this  place  as  a  rendezvous 
for  the  past  two  years,  ever  since  Walt  and  Billy  joined 
us,"  replied  Sam,  "and  we  find  it  a  jolly  place  to  stop, 
when  out  hunting.  We  are  all  by  ourselves  and  mon- 
arch of  all  we  survey,  don't  you  know." 

"  But  how  am  I  to  get  out  of  here  ? " 

"  The  same  way  you  came  in." 

"  Is  there  no  nearer  way  ? " 

"  Not  so  direct ;  but  there  is  a  logging  road  which 
runs  out  to  the  Big  Salt  from  here,  and  by  walking 
about  twice  as  far  you  could  reach  Red-Keg  by  way  of 
the  Sturgeon  road.  But  it  is  a  stupid  way — no  game, 
and  nothing  but  sand  and  mud  to  walk  through — much 
worse  even  than  climbing  over  logs.  You  will  soon 
get  accustomed  to  roughing  it,  and  you  won't  mind 
such  a  little  tramp  as  you  took  yesterday.  We  must 
take  another  little  jaunt  this  afternoon  in  order  to  lim- 
ber up  your  stiff  joints,  or  you  are  liable  to  get  foun- 
dered, like  an  old  horse." 


164  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

"  But  I  want  to  return  to  Red-Keg  yet  to-night.  I 
am  expecting  a  couple  of  friends  up  to-morrow,  and  I 
must  meet  them.  So  if  you  will  start  me  on  my  way, 
I  think  I  will  reach  there  all  right  by  way  of  the 
logging  road." 

"  We  will  at  least  see  you  safely  to  the  Sturgeon 
road,  and  if  we  start  in  time  we  may  meet  the  stage 
which  makes  the  weekly  trip  to  Sixteen  and  return. 
It  is  due  at  Red-Keg  to-night  at  seven." 

"All  right,  boys,  I  will  attempt  it,  though  I  am 
almost  as  sore  as  though  one  of  your  rollways  had  run 
over  me.  I  am  very  grateful  for  your  kindness ;  but 
as  my  friends  are  coming  I  will  not  attempt  to  impose 
them  upon  your  hospitality." 

"  You  are  welcome  to  our  cabin.  The  latch-string 
is  always  out,  and  whether  we  are  here  or  not,  just 
come  at  any  time  and  bring  your  friends  and  make 
yourselves  at  home,"  said  Seward,  warmly. 

Later  in  the  day  the  whole  party  started  through  the 
woods  to  the  road  where  Barker  hoped  to  meet  the 
stage.  Their  arrival  was  well  timed,  for  they  soon 
heard  the  rumble  of  the  old  stage-coach  coming  toward 
them  at  a  rapid  rate.  The  jehu  was  a  Frenchman 
noted  for  his  intrepidity  and  his  ability  to  swear.  He 
was  urging  on  his  horses,  as  the  sky  was  again  overcast, 
and  already  a  fleecy  snow  had  begun  to  fall  which  por- 
tended a  blizzard  before  many  hours. 

Just  as  the  clumsy  vehicle  was  rounding  a  curve  a 
short  distance  above,  where  the  five  men  stood,  Mr. 
Barker  stepped  hastily  out  into  the  road,  and  called  to 
the  driver  to  stop. 

The  hunter's  garb  is  fantastic,  something  like  that 
worn  by  Daniel  Boone  in  his  day,  and  in  the  gloaming 
it  looks  much  like  that  worn  by  the  Indians.  With  an 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  165 

oath  that  rent  tne  stillness  of  the  air,  the  driver  of  the 
stage  brought  his  horses  back  on  their  haunches,  throw- 
ing  the  half-dozen  occupants  together  in  a  heap  inside. 
In  an  instant  a  carbine  was  levelled  full  at  Barker's 
head,  and  the  Frenchman  ordered  "  Hands  up ! " 

At  this  critical  juncture  the  Invincibles  gave  their 
old  college  yell,  adapted  by  them  for  use  in  this  wilder- 
ness, and  instantly  the  carbine  was  lowered ;  but  those 
inside  of  the  stage  were  frightened  nearly  out  of  their 
senses.  Order  was  quickly  restored  when  it  became 
known  that  a  hold-up  was  not  intended,  but  that  simply 
a  new  passenger  was  about  to  join  them. 

"  Well,  I'll  be  blowed !  Where  in  the  world  did  you 
come  from,  Barker  ? "  spoke  somebody  from  the  inte- 
rior of  the  stage. 

"  Same  to  you ;  I  certainly  never  expected  to  see  you 
here/'  answered  Barker.  "Come  out  and  meet  my 
friends.  What !  Dabney  here,  too  ?  Well,  well ! "  he 
continued,  taking  the  hands  of  his  friends  and  shaking 
them  at  the  same  time. 

"  I  was  just  on  my  way  to  Red-Keg,  where  I  expected 
to  meet  you  to-morrow,  supposing  you  would  come  up 
on  the  railroad,"  he  continued.  "Why  did  you  come 
across  this  forsaken  way  ? " 

"  Oh,  we  just  learned  you  had  roughed  it  over  and 
we  thought  we  would  do  the  same.  So  we  followed 
your  trail.  You  didn't  leave  a  very  savory  reputation 
at  Beaverton,  and  we  came  near  being  lynched  when 
we  reached  there.  We  were— 

"Sh!  not  so  loud.  Be  careful.  We  are  pleasure- 
seekers,  and  land  hunters,"  interrupted  Barker  in  a  low 
voice,  but  not  so  low  as  to  escape  the  quick  ear  of  Sew- 
ard.  Then  in  a  louder  tone:  "Yes,  they  certainly 
lack  hospitality  to  strangers  out  there.  I  was  uncere- 


166  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

moniously  ordered  to  depart,  because  they  did  not  know 
my  pedigree,  and  I  walked  all  the  thirty  miles  to  Red- 
Keg  in  the  night." 

After  introductions  and  a  short  parley  it  was  decided 
that  Barker  and  his  friends  should  leave  the  stage  and 
all  go  out  to  the  cabin  together.  So  dismissing  the 
stage  driver,  the  Invincibles  and  guests  set  out  into  the 
woods,  while  the  jehu  shouted  to  his  steeds,  and  was 
soon  lost  to  sight  in  the  fast-falling  snow  and  approach- 
ing darkness. 

As  the  boys  had  feared,  the  quiet  was  of  short  dura- 
tion, for  before  the  party  reached  the  cabin,  the  wind 
had  risen,  and  they  were  in  the  midst  of  a  whirling 
blizzard,  which  threatened  to  freeze  or  bury  them  be- 
fore their  retreat  could  be  reached.  The  lodge  was  a 
welcome  refuge  to  the  four  boys  as  well  as  to  the  fa- 
tigued and  nearly  frozen  sleuths.  The  latter  still  be- 
lieved that  their  mission  was  unsuspected  by  the  Invin- 
cibles, and  the  boys  were  careful  not  to  dispel  this 
delusion.  The  Invincibles  had  this  advantage — they 
were  on  their  guard  and  sure  of  their  enemy,  while  the 
detectives  were  hunting  in  the  dark,  hoping  to  land  big 
game.  There  was  only  one  secret-service  man  in  the 
trio,  Mr.  Lawrence ;  the  other  two  were  amateurs  look- 
ing for  fame — and  shekels. 

"Whew!  what  a  terrible  night,"  said  Mr.  Lawrence, 
as  they  opened  the  door,  and  a  gust  of  wind  carried  a 
cloud  of  snow  in  with  them. 

"  Mighty  comfortable  place,  this,  for  such  a  night," 
remarked  Barker,  remembering  his  snug  bunk  and 
sound  sleep  of  the  previous  night. 

The  logs  which  had  been  left  in  the  fireplace  still 
glowed,  giving  a  cheery  aspect  to  the  place,  and  when 
a  few  pine-knots  had  been  fished  from  the  "  loft,"  there 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  167 

was  enough  light  and  warmth  to  fill  the  place  from  end 
to  end. 

After  a  hearty  repast  they  sat  around  the  fire  to 
spend  a  cosy  evening. 

"  Don't  know  that  this  weather  is  at  all  suggestive 
of  mosquitoes,  but,  as  I  came  through  some  of  these 
swamps,  it  occurred  to  me  that  in  the  summer  you 
must  have  a  vast  number  of  those  pesky  fellows  to 
contend  with,"  remarked  Lawrence,  half  interroga- 
tively. 

The  Invincibles  looked  around  at  each  other,  and 
then  Seward,  seeing  no  one  else  ready  to  respond,  re- 
marked nonchalantly: 

"Oh,  yes;  but  we  don't  mind  them  now.  After  a 
year  or  two  one  learns  how  to  avoid  them.  When  I 
first  came  out  here,  though,  I  was  reduced  twenty 
pounds  in  two  weeks  from  loss  of  blood.  The  critters 
would  bore  through  my  buckskin  shirt,  my  boots — in 
fact  there  was  no  getting  away  from  them.  They 
would  follow  me  all  day,  and  the  same  hungry  crowd 
would  be  after  me  at  night.  They " 

"  Indeed ! "  broke  in  the  three  strangers  in  con- 
cert. 

"True  as  gospel,"  asserted  Billy.  "I  have  seen 
them  so  thick  on  Seward's  back  that  when  I  struck 
them  the  blood  trickled  down  and  spattered  into  my 
face ! " 

"Oh,  yes,  I  know  that  mosquitoes,  even  though 
they're  not  aristocrats,  and  have  no  pedigrees,  are  often 
full  of  good  blood,"  assented  Lawrence. 

"Don't  you  know,  my  dear  friends,"  interrupted 
Sam,  seriously,  "  that  some  varieties  of  these  insects 
grow  to  a  prodigious  size  up  in  some  part  of  the  State 
among  the  swamps  and  rivers  ?  Why,  I've  heard  from 


168  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

good  authorities  that  the  biggest  ones  are  used  by  the 
raftsmen  bringing  up  the  'rear'  for  snubbing-posts. 
They  make  them  put  their  bills  into-  the  ground — . 
What  in  the  deuce  are  you  laughing  at  ? "  he  exclaimed, 
glancing  with  an  injured  air  at  the  three  strangers. 

"  What  Sam  was  saying  may  seem  slightly  exagger- 
ated, but  it  is  not  overdrawn,"  interrupted  Seward. 
"You  know  truth  is  stranger  than  fiction.  These 
beasts  are  always  the  most  obstreperous  about  rafting 
time.  Only  last  year  a  rafting  party  of  five  men  with 
two  yoke  of  heavy  oxen  went  up  here  to  the  Ox  Bow, 
and  began  work.  By  noon  of  the  first  day  the  oxen 
were  reduced  to  skeletons,  although  their  drivers  fought 
the  pests  all  the  time.  The  men  had  their  peavies 
along.  Don't  know  what  a  peavy  is?  Well,  it  is  a 
strong  pole  about  eight  feet  in  length  turned  round, 
bulging  below  the  centre,  and  smaller  at  each  end.  In 
the  lower  end  is  driven  a  strong  sharpened  spike  about 
six  inches  in  length  and  nearly  an  inch  square,  and  to 
hold  this  securely  and  strengthen  the  handle,  several 
bands  of  iron  are  driven  on,  the  last  and  smallest  one 
acting  as  a  ferrule." 

The  seriousness  of  Seward  during  this  description 
riveted  the  attention  of  the  hearers,  who  listened  with 
respectful  silence. 

"  Each  workman  finds  one  of  these  peavies  a  neces- 
sity, and  always  carries  one  when  at  work,  either  on 
the  drive,  roll  way,  or  rear.  Well,  on  this  occasion, 
when  the  noon  hour  came,  the  raftsmen  had  arrived  at 
an  old  shanty  something  like  this,  into  which  they  went 
to  prepare  their  noonday  meal,  leaving  their  peavies 
and  oxen  outside.  You  may  not  believe  me,  but  just 
one  hour  later,  when  the  men  went  out,  neither  oxen 
nor  peavies  were  anywhere  to  be  found ! " 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  169 

"What  had  become  of  them?"  timidly  inquired 
Barker. 

"  Well,  they  had  disappeared  as  though  by  magic ; 
but  a  careful  search  disclosed  some  heaps  of  fresh  bones 
lying  near  by.  A  great  humming  noise  was  heard,  a 
cloud  obscured  the  sun,  and  looking  up,  the  men  saw 
that  the  cloud  was  formed  of  mosquitoes,  and  the  larger 
ones,  which  were  the  queens,  were  perched  upon  the 
tall  pines  picking  their  teeth  with  the  peavies,"  and  the 
speaker  ducked  just  in  time  to  save  his  head  from  con- 
tact with  the  snowball  which  Lawrence  had  all  the 
time  been  rolling  out  of  the  drift  of  snow,  let  in  when 
they  arrived  at  the  shack. 

The  wind  shrieked,  the  logs  in  the  fireplace  crackled 
and  spluttered,  the  pine-knots  glowed  fitfully,  and  all 
tongues  were  silent  for  the  space  of  three  minutes  and 
seventeen  seconds  by  the  watch. 


CHAPTER   XI 

/ 

THE  next  morning  found  the  skies  again  clear  and 
the  air  keen  and  bracing.  Everywhere,  without,  the 
earth  was  buried  under  a  billowy  and  rippled  sea  of 
dazzling  white,  against  which  the  dark  boles  and 
branches  of  the  trees  stood  in  naked  contrast  after 
their  battle  with  the  wind. 

"  Just  the  day  to  run  down  deer,"  declared  Seward, 
as  they  sat  at  breakfast.  "  I  move  we  all  go  out  on  a 
hunt.  Our  larder  needs  replenishing.  No  game,  no 
dinner." 

Dabney  agreed  without  hesitation,  but  Barker  rubbed 
his  limbs  reminiscently,  and  remarked  that  he  was  will- 
ing to  defer  another  day's  hunting  until  some  later 
date.  Seward  turned  to  Lawrence,  who  had  remained 
silent,  and  said : 

"  You  will  join  us,  of  course,  Mr.  Lawrence  ?  We 
are  sure  to  stir  up  some  big  game  to-day,  and  will  show 
you  what  real  sport  in  these  woods  is  like." 

Lawrence  chewed  his  steak  meditatively  for  a  mo- 
ment, and  then  replied,  slowly : 

"  Thank  you ;  to  tell  the  truth,  however,  I  am  not 
much  of  a  sportsman, — though  I  have  hunted,  on  occa- 
sions. Perhaps  if  I  tell  you  a  little  experience  on  my 
last  deer-stalking  expedition,  you  will  understand  my 
weakness.  It  was  up  a  little  farther  north  than  this. 
I  was  on  a  trip  with  a  party  of  enthusiastic  huntsmen 
at  their  urgent  invitation,  although  I  made  no  pretense 
of  being  able  to  shoot  anything.  They  had  a  fine  out- 

170 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  i7l 

fit,  including  a  pack  of  hounds.  We  chose  a  promising 
section  of  country  along  a  beautiful  stream,  and  I  was 
assigned  to  a  *  runway '  upon  the  heavily  timbered  flats 
of  the  west  side.  There  I  sat,  pursuant  to  careful  in- 
structions, very  quietly  for  a  period  as  long,  perhaps, 
as  fifteen  or  twenty  minutes,  my  piece  cocked,  my  eyes 
open,  awaiting  almost  breathlessly  the  advent  of  game. 
It  didn't  come,  and  the  pastime  grew  monotonous  to 
me.  I  arose  and  looked  about  to  see  whether  I  might, 
perhaps,  catch  a  glimpse  of  dog,  hunter,  or  deer.  I 
saw  nothing.  Then  I  listened  for  the  baying  of  the 
hounds ;  but  not  a  bay  could  I  hear.  I  leaned  my  rifle 
against  a  thorn-bush  which  grew  near  the  bank  of  the 
stream,  and  began  to  divert  myself  by  picking  up  peb- 
bles from  the  beach  and  making  them  'skip '  across  the 
rippled  water.  Tiring  of  this  amusement  after  a  while, 
I  strolled  carelessly  down  the  beach,  picking  up  small 
pebbles,  when  of  a  sudden  I  became  conscious  of  a 
slight  but  peculiar  sound  in  the  woods  just  over  the 
bank,  which  at  this  point  was  a  little  higher  than  my 
head.  I  crawled  cautiously  up  the  turfy  terrace, 
mounted  the  huge  trunk  of  a  prostrate,  wind-thrown 
elm,  and  peered  into  the  dense  covert  of  the  forest. 
Very  soon  I  discovered  what  had  caused  the  sound,  and 
it  was  with  difficulty  that  I  repressed  an  exclamation 
of  delight.  Right  across  a  little  bayou  in  front  of  me 
and  distant  not  more  than  thirty  yards,  daintily  cropping 
the  herbage  that  grew  on  a  verdant  knoll,  was  a  fine 
yearling  doe.  The  exquisitely  beautiful  creature  had 
not  observed  me,  and  for  several  minutes  I  sat  motion- 
less enjoying  the  picture.  How  graceful  those  limbs ! 
That  slender,  willowy  neck !  How  large  and  lustrous 
those  glorious  eyes ! 

"  Why  didn't  I  shoot  ?    Shoot  her !    Why,  by  all  the 


172  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

vandals  and  bloodthirsty  savages  of  the  forest !  Shoot 
that  delicate,  fairy-like  thing !  Not  if  I  had  a  whole 
arsenal  at  my  command ! " 

Seward  and  Walt  shifted  uneasily,  Billy  coughed 
slightly,  and  Sam  smiled  sarcastically  and  opened  his 
mouth  to  make  some  comment,  but  Lawrence  con- 
tinued : 

"  I  assure  you  I  had  no  more  thought  of  attempting 
to  kill  that  beautiful,  harmless  animal  than  I  had  of 
killing  myself.  I  was  merely  sitting  there  ('  like  a  bump 
on  a  log,'  as  my  discoverer  afterward  more  forcibly 
than  poetically  put  it),  mute  with  delight  and  admira- 
tion, when  a  crackling  in  the  brush  to  the  right  sent 
my  timid  beauty  flying  deep  into  the  forest,  and  brought 
me  to  my  wits  and  to  my  feet. 

" '  Was  that  a  deer  ? '  demanded  the  harsh  voice  of 
one  of  the  hunters  who  had  come  out  with  me. 

"'Ye-es,'  I  stammered. 

"'Why  didn't  you  shoot?'  He  asked  this  question 
with  rather  more  than  impatience  in  his  tone. 

"'Why — why,'  I  answered,  in  confusion,  'I  didn't 
have  my  gun  here.' 

" 'Where  is  it  ? '  he  demanded,  in  disgust. 

"  The  truth  is  that  I  had  forgotten  all  about  the  gun, 
and  it  was  still  standing  leaning  against  the  thorn-bush 
some  twenty  perches  up  the  stream.  And,  will  you 
believe  it  ?  that  man  was  actually  angry  with  me.  He 
abused  me  ferociously — and  he  had  always  been  one  of 
my  very  best  friends,  too. 

" '  You'  11  never  make  a  hunter ! '  was  the  emphatic 
declaration  with  which  he  concluded  his  tirade.  That 
was  an  unkind  cut.  A  hunter !  Hadn't  I  found  ?  and, 
as  it  transpired,  wasn't  I  the  only  one  of  the  entire  crew 
who  did  find  a  deer  that  day  ?  And  therefore  I  still 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  173 

insist  that  I  was  not  only  a  hunter,  but  a  remarkably 
successful  one.  As  to  being  a  butcher,  that  was  quite 
another  matter.  I've  always  had  a  lingering  suspicion 
since  then  that  in  the  ordinary  acceptance  of  the  terms 
'hunter'  and  'sportsman'  they  are  necessarily  synony- 
mous with  'butcher.'  Of  course  I  don't  mean  any  as- 
persions on  you,  my  good  friends ;  but  you  can  see  that 
I  would  make  rather  unprofitable  company  for  you  on 
the  proposed  deer-running  trip  to-day." 

Sam  laughed.  "It  is  fortunate  we  are  not  all  so 
tender-hearted,"  he  said.  "  I  know  some  hungry  men 
who  would  have  no  dinner  to-day.  Besides,  how  about 
the  ravages  of  wolves  and  other  troublesome  beasts  ? " 

"  Oh,  don't  understand  me  as  being  opposed  to  the 
shooting  of  dangerous  animals  who  are  the  natural  ene- 
mies of  man,  or  those  which  are  necessary  for  food.  I 
can  hunt  without  mercy — on  suitable  occasions,"  said 
Lawrence,  smiling.  Then  he  added,  quickly,  "  I  have 
known  of  many  instances,  however,  where  men  have 
slaughtered  hundreds  of  helpless  doves,  simply  to  dis- 
play their  marksmanship,  or  have  shot  down  beauti- 
ful song-birds  for  no  better  purpose  than  to  give  some 
vain  woman  the  pleasure  of  wearing  the  murdered  little 
beauties  on  her  hat." 

"  You  are  right  there ! "  exclaimed  Seward.  "  There 
is  too  much  of  that  kind  of  sport.  We  do  not  indulge 
in  it." 

By  the  time  breakfast  was  over,  it  was  agreed  that 
Dabney  should  exchange  clothes  with  Barker  and  join 
the  Invincibles  in  their  hunt,  while  the  other  two  visit- 
ors remained  at  the  lodge.  The  hunters  set  off  in  two 
divisions,  Seward  with  Dabney  in  one  direction,  \Yalt, 
Billy,  and  Sam  in  another. 

"  Let  us  round  up  at  the  western  edge  of  the  swamp. 


174  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

I  saw  a  new  runway  down  there  the  other  day,  that 
looked  promising,"  called  out  Seward,  as  the  friends 
separated,  Seward  and  Dabney  taking  the  shortest  cut. 

In  the  course  of  an  hour  Seward  declared  that  they 
were  in  the  vicinity  of  game.  They  had  struck  the 
deer  trail,  or  runway,  which  deer  and  other  animals  fol- 
lowed to  find  water,  making  a  well-beaten  path.  The 
hunter  waits  near  this  path,  and  if  he  escapes  the  keen 
scent  of  the  game,  he  will  be  sure,  soon  or  late,  to  see 
one  or  more  of  the  timid  animals  go  by.  As  the  two 
men  stood  for  a  moment,  considering  whether  to  remain 
there  or  go  farther  toward  the  swamp,  they  heard  be- 
hind them  the  patter  of  hoofs,  and  the  terrified  snort 
of  a  deer  in  distress.  They  jumped  to  one  side  just  in 
time  to  avoid  being  run  down  by  a  big  buck,  who 
rushed  past  with  a  murderous  catamount  firmly  fixed 
upon  his  shoulders.  With  each  bound  of  the  deer  the 
claws  and  teeth  sank  deeper  into  the  quivering  flesh. 

Seward  raised  his  rifle  and  fired  two  shots  in  rapid 
succession  at  the  cat ;  but  still  the  buck  kept  up  the 
terrific  pace. 

"  Come ! "  shouted  Seward,  and  the  chase  was  on. 
Neither  paused  for  breath.  The  deer  would  keep  to 
the  runway  until  it  fell  exhausted,  and  if  the  pursuers 
could  maintain  a  reasonable  speed,  they  might  overtake 
the  fleeing  buck  before  the  cat  had  made  an  end  of 
him.  Snow-covered  brambles  caught  their  clothes,  hid- 
den logs  their  feet.  Down  they  went,  time  and  time 
again;  but  nothing  daunted,  they  raced  on.  Dabney 
kept  close  with  his  companion,  and  in  the  excitement 
did  not  feel  the  pain  of  bruises  or  the  lacerations  from 
the  cruel  briers.  Almost  before  either  man  was  aware 
of  it,  they  had  reached  the  margin  of  the  swamp.  Here 
a  terrific  fight  was  going  on.  The  stag  had  run  under 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  175 

the  limb  of  a  tree  which  had  dislodged  the  wildcat. 
Quicker  than  a  flash  the  deer  had  turned  on  his  foe, 
and  with  lowered  head  was  striving  to  disable  him. 
Both  were  too  much  occupied  to  notice  the  approach 
of  the  hunters,  and  the  battle  was  a  royal  one.  The 
cat,  hungry  already  with  a  taste  of  blood,  was  making 
fierce  efforts  to  again  mount  the  back  of  the  buck,  who, 
though  weak  from  the  loss  of  blood,  led  in  the  fray,  his 
eyes  gleaming  wickedly.  The  cat  parried  in  vain  for 
an  opening;  the  deer  was  ever  on  the  alert.  Now  on 
the  aggressive,  now  on  the  defensive,  the  combatants 
rushed  around  and  around  in  a  little  open  space  on  the 
margin  of  the  swamp.  It  was  soon  evident  that'  the 
deer  could  not  hold  out  much  longer,  as  he  began  to 
stagger,  and  the  fire  was  leaving  his  eyes. 

Up  to  this  time  the  hunters  could  only  gaze  in  awed 
silence  and  admiration  at  the  prowess  of  the  timid  and 
gentle  deer,  fighting  so  gallantly  with  his  terrible  an- 
tagonist. But  now  Seward,  reloading  his  rifle,  raised  it 
to  his  shoulder,  took  deliberate  aim,  and  pulled  the 
trigger.  As  the  report  rang  out,  the  catamount  gave 
a  shriek  of  pain  and  anger,  and  turning  upon  his  new 
foes,  only  a  few  feet  away,  the  enraged  beast  made  a 
furious  spring  at  Seward.  The  latter  had  anticipated 
the  move,  and  instantly,  while  the  cat  was  still  in  air, 
not  six  feet  from  the  muzzle  of  his  gun,  the  other  bar- 
rel barked,  Seward  sprang  to  one  side,  and  the  monster 
dropped  like  lead  at  the  very  feet  of  the  two  hunters, 
shot  through  the  heart. 

The  deer,  at  this  unexpected  denouement,  turned 
and  made  a  dash  for  the  swamp,  hotly  pursued  by  Dab- 
ney.  The  buck  proceeded  but  a  little  way  before  his 
feet  became  imbedded  in  the  quagmire,  and  Dabney, 
nothing  daunted  at  the  fight  the  fellow  had  put  up 


176  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

against  the  cat,  rushed  impetuously  after  him.  The 
deer  remained  quiet  till  Dabney  came  within  a  few  feet 
of  him  and  had  drawn  his  hunting-knife  to  despatch 
him.  But  the  inexperienced  hunter  had  reckoned  with- 
out his  host.  With  a  last  desperate  effort  the  monarch 
of  the  forest,  driven  to  the  last  ditch,  freed  himself  and 
made  a  rush  at  his  new  foe.  Dabney,  now  realizing 
his  peril,  sought  to  retreat,  but  his  own  feet  were  en- 
tangled in  the  swamp,  and  he  could  not  escape.  In  an 
instant  he  was  battling  for  his  life  with  a  deer  brought 
to  bay.  Hoofs  and  horns  were  used  with  powerful 
effect,  and  by  the  time  Seward's  attention  was  called 
to  the  new  arena  of  battle,  Dabney  was  almost  past 
help.  Picking  up  the  latter's  rifle,  which  had  been 
dropped  in  his  haste  to  get  at  the  deer,  Seward  took 
aim  at  the  beast's  head,  and  none  too  soon  the  bul- 
let went  crashing  into  the  stag's  brain.  This  was  an 
enemy  against  which  the  gallant  buck  could  not  con- 
*  tend.  The  fire  of  battle  died  out  of  his  eyes.  His  no- 
ble form  quivered,  and  he  fell  crashing  to  the  ground, 
where  he  lay,  motionless  forever. 

Seward  turned  his  attention  to  Dabney,  and  found 
him  covered  with  blood,  his  face  badly  cut,  his  clothes 
torn,  and  his  body  so  deeply  imbedded  in  the  mire  that 
he  could  not  draw  him  out.  To  add  to  the  situation 
the  poor  fellow  had  fainted. 

Reaching  for  his  revolver,  Seward  fired  five  shots  in 
the  air.  Almost  instantly  an  answer  came,  not  far 
away,  and  soon  the  other  hunters  came  in  sight.  Hav- 
ing heard  the  first  firing,  they  were  hastening  to  the 
scene  of  the  scrimmage. 

After  considerable  effort,  Dabney  was  extricated 
from  his  muddy  bed,  and  soon  regained  consciousness. 
No  bones  were  broken,  but  he  was  plentifully  supplied 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  177 

with  cuts,  bruises,  and  rents  in  his  clothing,  made  by 
the  stag's  sharp  hoofs. 

Turning  their  attention  to  the  cat,  they  found  him 
to  be  one  of  the  largest  of  his  species,  four  feet  long 
and  armed  with  magnificent  teeth  and  claws.  A  few 
strokes  of  the  knife,  and  the  pelt  was  off.  Sam,  Billy, 
and  Walt  then  went  after  the  deer,  and  having  quar- 
tered him,  started  for  the  lodge,  each,  except  Dabney, 
who  was  scarcely  able  to  walk  alone,  carrying  a  portion 
of  the  quarry. 

Lawrence  and  Barker  stood  watching  the  departing 
Nimrods  till  they  had  disappeared  into  the  woods. 
Lawrence,  ever  on  the  alert,  observed  the  flutter  of 
something  falling  to  the  ground  as  Sam  drew  a  hand- 
kerchief from  his  pocket.  As  soon  as  the  party  was 
out  of  sight,  and  Barker  had  re-entered  the  cabin,  he 
went  to  the  spot  and  picked  up  a  letter. 

"  All  is  fair  in  love  and  war,"  he  soliloquized.  "  In 
my  business,  one  must  not  stop  to  consider  the  niceties 
too  closely.  It  is  necessary  at  times  to  do  things  that 
are  distasteful,  like  reading  another  man's  private  cor- 
respondence, for  example.  These  boys  are  certainly 
hail-fellows-well-met,  generous  to  a  fault,  and  perhaps 
as  straight  as  they  seem  to  be.  I  hope  so ;  but  there 
are  several  things  I  must  find  out  before  I  give  them  a 
'clean  bill.'  Hallo!  this  letter  is  not  addressed  to 
Hawkins.  I  will  look  at  it,  and  put  it  back  where  I 
found  it,  if  it  contains  nothing  of  importance.  Barker 
need  not  know  anything  about  it." 

Thrusting  the  letter  into  his  pocket  he  returned  to 
the  shack.  Barker  was  sprawled  out  among  the  furs, 
half  asleep. 

"  Come,  old  man,  we  have  work  to  do.    There's  no 

12 


i;8  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

time  to  sleep  while  we  have  this  place  to  ourselves. 
Let's  nose  around  a  bit  and  see  if  we  can  find  any  clews. 
If  these  young  fellows  are  not  the  ones  we  are  after,  we 
shall  have  to  start  on  another  tack  inside  of  a  week." 

"  All  right,  John ;  only  for  heaven's  sake  don't  talk  so 
infernally  loud,"  grumbled  Barker  in  an  undertone. 
"  Some  of  these  skins  may  hide  a  pair  of  ears  that  we 
haven't  counted  on." 

Lawrence  laughed,  and  then  remarked  good-na- 
turedly :  "  You  are  right.  It  is  well  to  be  discreet  as 
a  matter  of  self -discipline,  although  I  have  no  doubt 
that  we  rule  this  roost  alone  just  now.  However,  we 
will  quickly  find  out  if  there  are  any  secrets  here.  I 
confess,  it  begins  to  look  as  if  we  are  barking  up  the 
wrong  tree,  notwithstanding  the  tip  we  received." 

With  a  show  of  admiration  and  curious  interest  they 
set  about  a  careful  examination  of  the  place,  and  were 
not  long  in  satisfying  themselves  that  there  was  noth- 
ing "  queer  "  about  the  house  or  premises,  for  not  the 
smallest  nook  or  cranny  was  left  unexplored. 

"  Well,  what  do  you  think  about  it  ? "  asked  Law- 
rence when  their  work  was  completed. 

"  No  sign  of  anything  wrong  here,  that's  sure ;  and 
the  boys  seem  all  right.  We  are  not  apt  to  find  much 
moonshine  here,"  replied  Barker.  So  saying  he 
stretched  himself  out  again  in  the  bunk  from  which  his 
partner  had  roused  him  to  make  the  search. 

Lawrence  strolled  out  of  the  cabin,  saying  he  would 
like  to  have  one  more  look  around  before  the  hunters 
returned.  As  soon  as  he  was  alone  he  inspected  the 
letter  which  Sam  had  dropped.  It  had  been  posted 
about  a  month  before  at  Belfast,  Ireland,  and  was  ad- 
dressed to  Barney  O'Boyle.  The  envelope  had  been 
torn  open  at  the  end.  As  Lawrence  read  it,  a  look  of 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  179 

astonishment  and  perplexity  spread  over  his  face,  and 
his  lips  puckered  into  a  long,  low  whistle. 

"  Oh,  ho !  There's  a  colored  gentleman  in  this  wood- 
pile somewhere.  Either  Sam  Hawkins  is  personating 
the  said  Barney  O'Boyle,  or  he  is  appropriating  his 
mail.  There's  a  girl  in  it,  too,  with  a  pretty  name — 
Norine.  This  is  interesting  enough  to  investigate  a 
little  on  my  own  hook.  Meanwhile  I  shall  hold  fast  to 
this  little  missive.  Mr.  Samuel  Hawkins  will  pass  sev- 
eral uncomfortable  moments  when  he  misses  it,  and 
will  finally  conclude  that  he  lost  it  somewhere  in  the 
swamp.  It's  just  as  well  that  he  hasn't  seen  me  yet, 
but  only  my  sandy-haired  friend  Lawrence.  I  may 
want  to  meet  the  gentleman  again  before  long." 

The  detective  carefully  adjusted  the  yellow  mustache 
which  had  adorned  his  face  since  his  departure  from 
Sixteen  the  day  before.  Re-entering  the  lodge,  he 
roused  Barker  to  tell  him  that  he  had  decided  to  push 
on  to  Red-Keg  at  once,  leaving  his  two  allies  to  con- 
clude their  investigation  of  the  Invincibles  at  their 
leisure. 

"  I  am  expecting  certain  important  papers  to  reach 
me  at  Red-Keg,  and  they  may  even  recall  me  from  this 
section,"  he  explained,  "  but  if  I  do  not  return,  or  you 
do  not  see  me  at  the  village,  I  will  leave  word  for  you 
there.  Convey  my  regrets  to  our  kind  hosts,  and  tell 
them  I  hope  to  see  them  again  some  day,"  and  after 
getting  Barker  to  tell  him  all  he  knew  as  to  the  best 
way  out  of  the  forest,  he  was  off. 

When  the  five  hunters  returned,  they  found  Barker 
still  lying  at  his  ease  in  the  bunk.  He  was  alarmed 
when  he  saw  Dabney,  but  catching  sight  of  the  ugly 
head  of  the  catamount  still  attached  to  the  skin,  he  felt 
that  his  friend's  appearance  was  amply  accounted  for. 


l8o  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

When  told  that  it  was  the  deer  instead  of  the  cat  that 
had  created  the  havoc,  he  was  astonished  beyond 
measure. 

"  I  thought  the  cat  had  been  trying  to  make  a  meal 
of  you,"  he  exclaimed. 

"Where's  Lawrence?"  asked  Dabney,  looking 
around. 

"  Oh,  he  is  no  kind  of  sport  at  all.  About  an  hour 
ago  he  started  off  for  Red-Keg,  leaving  nothing  but  re- 
grets. Said  he  expected  to  hear  from  his  house,  but  I 
have  an  opinion  that  there  is  a  girl  in  it,  so  I  let  him 
go  without  much  protest." 

The  next  few  days  were  uneventful.  Lawrence  had 
not  returned,  and  it  was  supposed  that  he  had  been  re- 
called as  he  had  anticipated. 

Before  the  week  was  over,  Dabney  and  Barker  were 
convinced  that  they  must  look  elsewhere  for  "  moon- 
shine" and  rewards.  They  parted  from  their  jovial 
hosts  with  genuine  regret,  declaring  that  the  few  days 
spent  in  their  company  had  been  a  delightful  event  in 
their  lives.  The  Invincibles  accompanied  them  to  Red- 
Keg,  where  Barker  found  a  note  from  Lawrence  which 
read  as  follows : 

"Nothing  can  be  accomplished  by  remaining  here 
now.  I  am  going  further  up  into  the  woods,  where  I 
hope  to  be  more  successful.  Will  see  you  later." 

That  was  all. 

The  same  evening  the  train  took  away  two  detec- 
tives, completely  outwitted,  not  knowing  what  move  to 
make  next,  but  bound  for  Saginaw,  from  which  place 
they  would  plan  a  new  start.  They  scarcely  concealed 
their  discomfiture,  and  the  Invincibles  were  jubilant 
accordingly. 


CHAPTER   XII 

"THANK  goodness,  we  have  gotten  rid  of  that  gang 
of  spies.  I  was  afraid  they  would  give  us  more  trouble 
than  they  did,  don't  you  know,"  exclaimed  Sam,  as  the 
four  Invincibles  met  again  in  their  snug  quarters  on 
Mystic  Isle,  the  day  following  the  departure  of  Dabney 
and  Barker  from  Red-Keg. 

"That's  a  fact,  they  were  easy,"  replied  Seward. 
"They  have  gone  off,  I'll  venture  to  say,  prepared 
to  give  us  the  best  of  reputations  'to  whom  it  may 
concern.' " 

"  Don't  be  too  sure,"  broke  in  Walt.  "  They  were 
almost  too  easy  to  suit  me.  It  may  be  a  bluff.  I  hope 
we  have  seen  the  last  of  them,  but  it  will  do  no  harm 
to  be  on  the  lookout,  and  go  slow  with  the  Mystic 
Brand  for  a  while." 

"  It's  all  very  well  to  talk  about  going  slow,"  re- 
marked Billy,  "  but  we  need  the  money.  We  have  been 
doing  nothing  for  the  past  week,  and  we  can't  afford  to 
remain  idle.  Since  the  old  man  reduced  my  allowance, 
this  is  my  principal  source  of  income.  I  don't  look  for 
any  further  interference  from  the  reward  hunters,  and 
I  vote  to  go  ahead." 

"  Well,  boys,  you  have  all  had  your  say ;  now  listen 
to  me.  I  have  something  else  in  mind  that  is  more 
important  to  me,  don't  you  know,  than  all  the  moon- 
shine that  we  can  turn  out  in  a  year.  I  can't  tell  you 
all  the  details  just  now,  but  I  may  want  your  help  be- 
fore long.  Are  you  with  me  ? "  queried  Sam,  earnestly. 

181 


182  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

"  Well,  you  say  it's  more  important  to  you.  Where 
do  we  come  in  ?  We've  always  stuck  together  and  I 
guess  we  will  now,  if  there's  anything  in  it  for  all,"  said 
Billy. 

"That's  the  idea,"  agreed  Walt;  "mutual  interest, 
you  know." 

"  Oh,  it's  not  likely  I'll  forget  those  who  stand  by 
me,  even  if  it  is  a  personal  matter,"  replied  Sam.  "  Be- 
sides, it  needn't  interfere  with  our  business  here.  I 
merely  want  to  be  sure  of  your  help  if  I  should  need  it." 

"  What's  your  game,  then  ?  "  asked  Seward, 

"  I  can't  give  you  all  the  particulars  now,"  answered 
Sam,  "  but  to  begin  with,  I  may  as  well  say  that  I  have 
set  my  heart  on  winning  that  little  beauty,  Norine 
Maloney,  for  my  wife." 

"What  are  you  talking  about!  She  and  Barney 
O'Boyle  have  been  in  love  with  each  other  for  years. 
You  haven't  a  ghost  of  a  show  there,"  exclaimed  Sew- 
ard, in  astonishment. 

"  Now  look  here,  my  boy,  don't  you  get  a  headache 
on  my  account,"  replied  Sam,  somewhat  nettled.  "  You 
ought  to  know  that  I  am  not  in  the  habit  of  going  into 
a  thing  without  considering  it  beforehand,  and  what  I 
undertake  I  generally  put  through,  don't  you  know. 
As  you  say,  Norine  and  Barney  have  been  fooling 
around  together  for  a  long  time — too  long — nothing 
has  come  of  it.  That  big  calf  of  an  Irishman  don't 
know  enough  to  come  to  an  understanding  with  the 
girl,  and  she  is  more  than  likely  to  get  tired  of  waiting 
for  such  a  dullard  and  be  only  too  glad  to  take  a  gen- 
tleman who  has  gumption  enough  to  ask  her,  and  I 
flatter  myself  that  she  could  do  worse  than  to  accept 
the  emperor  of  this  fair  island." 

"How  about  my  cousin?"   inquired  Seward,  with 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  183 

rising  anger.  "She  has  shown  a  decided  preference 
for  you  herself  for  the  past  year  or  two,  and  it  was 
understood  some  time  ago  that  there  was  an  under- 
standing between  you.  The  rest  of  us  boys  think  you 
are  very  lucky  in  having  such  a  pretty  girl  at  your 
beck  and  call.  Surely  you  do  not  mean  to  give  her  the 
cold  shoulder  ? " 

"  Nonsense ! "  exclaimed  Sam,  uneasily.  "  Lettie's  a 
nice  girl,  but  she  hasn't  any  claim  on  me.  I  may  have 
paid  her  some  attentions,  but  I  don't  see  how  that  pre- 
vents me  from  choosing  another  girl  for  my  wife  if  I 
like.  You  are  not  likely  to  object  very  much.  I  know 
you  would  be  only  too  glad  to  get  Lettie  yourself. 
Just  now  she  seems  to  be  completely  taken  up  with 
that  school  and  pack  of  ragamuffins  of  hers.  I  have 
more  than  one  reason  for  preferring  Norine,  and  my 
mind  is  made  up  to  have  her." 

"  If  she  will  have  you.  I  suppose  that  side  of  the 
question  is  worth  considering,"  said  Seward,  flushing 
with  annoyance.  "It  is  the  general  impression  that 
the  young  lady  considers  your  room  slightly  more  de- 
sirable than  your  company." 

"  I  don't  care  that  for  the  'general  impression,' "  cried 
Sam,  snapping  his  fingers.  "  Do  you  suppose  I  am  go- 
ing to  allow  that  lanky  Irish  farmer,  or  a  girl's  silly 
whim,  or  a  'general  impression'  to  stand  in  my  way? 
However,  it  may  require  a  little  manoeuvring.  I  have 
a  plan  by  which  Lettie  can  help  me.  If  that  fails,  I 
may  call  upon  my  friends,  the  Invincibles." 

"What  deviltry  are  you  up  to,  I  should  like  to 
know  ? "  broke  in  Walt.  "  I  don't  see  what  the  Invin- 
cibles  have  got  to  do  with  your  love  affairs,  anyway." 

"  Explain  yourself  a  little  more  fully,  Sam,"  said 
Seward,  quietly. 


1 84  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

"  What's  the  use,  if  you're  all  against  me  ? "  snapped 
Sam.  "We  may  as  well  dissolve  partnership  right 
now,  if  it  has  come  to  that." 

"Not  at  all,"  said  Seward,  still  controlling  himself; 
"  we  haven't  declared  against  you ;  we  merely  want  to 
hear  your  plan.  We  can't  go  into  a  thing  of  this  kind 
blind.  What  is  it  you  propose  to  do  and  what  do  you 
want  us  to  do  ? " 

Sam  hesitated  a  moment  and  glanced  doubtfully  at 
one  after  another  of  his  three  companions.  He  dis- 
trusted them ;  yet  he  feared  to  admit  his  distrust  by 
refusing  to  confide  in  them.  Presently  he  said : 

"  I  may  not  have  to  ask  anything  of  you,  after  all. 
I  have  an  idea  I  can  work  things  around  my  own  way 
by  the  use  of  a  little  diplomacy.  I  know  Norine  doesn't 
care  for  me — that  is,  at  present — but  perhaps  I  can 
make  her.  It  is  devilish  unpleasant  to  think  that  stu- 
pid Irishman  can  always  stand  in  my  way.  He  must 
be  made  to  give  her  up,  or  she  to  give  him  up — I  don't 
care  which.  Lettie  can  help  me,  if,  as  you  say,  she  is 
at  my  beck  and  call,  and  is  willing  to  sacrifice  her  own 
feelings  a  little  for  my  wishes.  She  can  make  herself 
fascinating  enough  if  she  likes,  and  is  something  of  a 
coquette — if  she  hasn't  forgotten  it.  Why  shouldn't 
she  try  her  wiles  on  Barney  for  a  change.  Of  course 
vll  have  to  put  her  up  to  it  somehow.  If  that  pans 
jut,  and  he  should  appear  to  neglect  Norine,  my  chances 
with  the  latter  will  increase,  though,  of  course,  I  don't 
want  Lettie  to  suspect  that  part  of  it.  Then,  if  all  goes 
well,  I  won't  have  to  bother  you  fellows  at  all ;  but  I 
am  determined  to  put  the  thing  through  in  any  event, 
and  I  want  to  feel  that,  if  need  be,  I  shall  have  you  to 
fall  back  on.  Let's  settle  it  now;  can  I  count  on  you 
or  not  ? " 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  185 

" Villain !"  muttered  Walt  under  his  breath;  but 
Sam's  eyes  were  on  Seward,  and  he  did  not  notice  the 
expression  of  disgust  on  Walt's  face. 

"  Well,  I've  got  this  to  say,  so  far  as  I'm  concerned," 
said  Seward,  harshly ;  "  in  the  first  place  I  don't  believe 
you  can  carry  that  very  pretty  scheme  through.  It's 
not  a  small  matter  to  trifle  with  the  affections  of  one 
girl,  to  say  nothing  of  two.  Lettie  will  hardly  consent 
to  be  your  tool  in  any  such  business — not  if  I  know 
her.  You  may  get  her  to  do  a  good  deal  i*  "ou  lie 
cleverly  enough,  and  I  do  not  question  your  ability  in 
that  direction ;  but  for  all  she  is  so  devoted  to  you,  she 
is  a  proud  little  woman  and  will  not  stand  to  be  hu- 
miliated or  insulted.  In  the  second  place,  my  advice 
to  you  is  to  make  the  most  of  the  business  we  are  in  as 
long  as  you  can.  It  is  what  we  came  together  for,  and 
is  the  only  thing  that  will  keep  us  together  here.  I 
imagine  Walt  and  Billy  will  not  care  to  stay  out  in  this 
neck  o'  the  woods  just  to  help  you  in  your  love  affairs 
and  dirty  private  schemes.  In  the  third  place,  I  con- 
sider your  proposed  treatment  of  my  cousin  Lettie,  to 
say  nothing  of  Norine  and  Barney,  as  scoundrelly  and 
cowardly  in  the  extreme,  and  I'll  be  shot  before  I'll 
have  anything  to  do  with  it." 

Sam  sprang  to  his  feet,  his  face  purple  with  rage  and 
his  fists  clenched.  The  other  boys  also  sprang  up 
hastily,  and  for  a  moment  a  fight  seemed  imminent ; 
but  Sam  counted  the  forces  against  him  and  decided 
that  as  they  might  be  three  to  one,  it  would  be  better 
to  avoid  a  personal  encounter. 

"  Hang  it  all,  Seward ! "  he  snarled,  "  what  do  you 
mean  by  such  insolence  ?  I  won't  take  it  from  you  nor 
anyone  else.  It's  come  to  a  pretty  pass  when  you  can 
preach  to  me  about  what  I  ought  and  ought  not  to 


1 86  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

do.  I  wouldn't  have  said  a  word  about  my  plans,  only 
I  thought  we  were  sworn  friends,  ready  to  help  each 
other  in  everything,  and  lo  and  behold,  you  flunk  and 
play  the  baby  act  at  the  very  first " 

"Hold  on,  Sam,"  interrupted  Walt.  "There's  no 
baby  act  about  it.  I  agree  with  Seward  in  every  word 
he  said.  This  isn't  a  matter  the  Invincibles  want  to 
be  mixed  up  in.  We  may  be  criminals  in  Uncle  Sam's 
eye,  because  we  don't  share  our  profits  with  him,  but 
there  are  two  ways  of  looking  at  that.  This  job  of 
yours  is  very  different,  and  I  confess  the  thought  of  it 
turns  my  stomach,  although  I'm  not  especially  inter- 
ested in  either  of  the  young  ladies.  If  you  want  to 
hold  the  corporation  together,  I  advise  you  to  see  when 
you're  outvoted  and  let  personal  interests  go  when 
they  interfere  with  those  of  the  concern." 

Sam  scowled  and  kicked  viciously  the  head  of  a 
wildcat  which  glared  at  him  from  among  the  skins  on 
the  floor  of  the  cave.  He  was  rapidly  turning  the  sub- 
ject over  in  his  mind,  and  in  a  few  moments  replied 
sulkily : 

"  Oh,  very  well ;  if  you're  all  so  hot  over  it,  we'll  call 
it  off  and  say  no  more  about  it,  though  I  don't  see  why 
you  should  be  so  squeamish  all  of  a  sudden.  I  suppose 
we'll  have  to  stick  to  business  this  winter,  spies  or  no 
spies,  and  get  in  some  money.  If  you  only  knew  it,  I 
have  had  a  better  eye  to  business  than  you  gave  me 
credit " 

Sam  stopped  suddenly.  He  had  put  his  hand  into 
his  inside  pocket  while  speaking,  then  into  his  other 
pockets  in  rapid  succession. 

"  What  is  the  matter  ? "  exclaimed  Billy.  "  You  are 
as  white  as  a  sheet,  Sam.  I  declare  you  are  really 
trembling." 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  187 

"I— oh,  nothing.  That  is— I  think  I  have  lost 
something.  Excuse  me,  I  will  look  around  my  bunk," 
and  Sam,  greatly  agitated,  hurried  off  to  another  of  the 
group  of  caves  which  formed  their  remarkable  estab- 
lishment. 

"  There's  a  nigger  in  the  wood-pile  somewhere,"  said 
Walt.  "  Sam  has  not  unbosomed  himself  as  fully  as 
he  might.  I  only  hope  he  won't  get  us  entangled  in 
more  than  our  contract  calls  for." 

Billy  Axford  had  taken  very  little  part  in  the  heated 
discussion  aroused  by  Sam's  astonishing  proposal. 

Later  in  the  day,  however,  he  found  opportunity  to 
speak  to  Sam  alone,  and  recurred  to  the  subject  con- 
fidentially. 

"  I  didn't  see  that  anything  could  be  gained  by  caus- 
ing a  split,"  he  said,  "so  I  kept  quiet;  but  if  there's 
any  money  to  be  made  in  working  the  scheme  you 
have  in  mind,  just  count  on  me  for  any  help  you  may 
want.  The  gov'nor  don't  like  my  staying  out  here  in- 
stead of  sitting  at  a  desk  in  his  office,  and  when  he 
wrote  reducing  my  allowance  for  this  year,  he  inti- 
mated in  no  gentle  terms  that  if  I  stay  out  here  after 
this  winter  there'll  be  no  allowance  at  all,  so  it's  make 
or  break  with  me — or  else  go  home  like  the  prodigal 
son." 

Sam  seized  his  friend's  hand  enthusiastically.  Here 
was  unexpected  help. 

"Thanks,  old  fellow!"  he  exclaimed.  "It'll  be 
1  make '  this  time.  If  we  put  this  thing  through,  I'll 
line  your  pockets  well,  and  we  needn't  let  the  others 
in  at  all.  If  it  comes  to  a  pinch  they  will  have  to  stand 
for  their  share  whether  they  like  it  or  not." 

As  the  winter  wore  on,  the  Invincibles  applied  them- 
selves to  their  business  with  more  industry  than  ever. 


1 88  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

Their  "hunting  and  trapping"  trips  were  more  fre- 
quent and  protracted,  and  to  keep  up  appearances  they 
began  to  despoil  their  lodge  in  the  woods  and  even 
their  island  caves  of  some  of  the  accumulated  pelts  in 
order  to  make  a  display  of  bringing  them  to  market. 

In  all  of  this  activity  Sam  bore  his  share  with  less 
and  less  regularity.  Night  and  day  he  puzzled  his 
brain  for  some  means  to  cause  an  estrangement  be- 
tween Barney  and  Norine.  He  went  out  of  his  way  to 
make  himself  agreeable  to  the  unsuspecting  girl,  and 
showed  her  parents  more  courtesy  and  attention  than 
he  had  ever  done  before.  He  took  especial  care  that 
Barney  should  not  notice  his  behavior  for  fear  it  might 
spur  him  on  to  declare  himself.  Moreover,  Sam  re- 
newed his  attentions  to  Lettie,  who,  in  spite  of  her 
school  work,  had  been  unable  to  overcome  her  infatua- 
tion, as  some  of  her  friends  regarded  it,  for  Farmer 
Hawkins's  son.  She  was  overjoyed  at  what  she 
thought  was  his  reawakened  love,  little  dreaming  that 
he  merely-sought  to  assert  his  influence  over  her  suffi- 
ciently to  bend  her  to  his  wishes.  Whenever  he  could 
contrive  it  on  one  pretext  or  another,  he  brought  Lettie 
and  Barney  together  and  made  sure  that  Norine  should 
hear  an  exaggerated  version  of  the  meeting.  He  hardly 
dared  to  ask  Lettie  outright  to  attempt  anything  like  a 
wilful  flirtation  with  the  young  Irishman,  preferring  to 
accomplish  his  purpose,  if  possible,  without  revealing 
his  hand.  He  found  his  task  harder  than  he  had  antici- 
pated, though  Barney's  natural  gallantry  and  his  frank 
friendliness  toward  Lettie,  as  Norine's  friend,  helped 
the  plot  not  a  little.  After  Barney  had  been  trapped 
several  times  into  taking  Lettie  to  her  home  from  the 
Hawkins  farm  in  the  evening,  and  once  from  her 
school,  Sam  had  the  satisfaction  of  seeing  unmistakable 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  189 

signs  of  trouble  and  resentment  in  Norine's  manner 
when  told  of  the  affairs.  Without  apparently  intend- 
ing to  do  so,  Sam  succeeded  in  conveying  to  her  mind 
the  interpretation  suited  to  his  purpose.  In  the  ab- 
sence of  an  understanding  between  Barney  and  Norine, 
neither  felt  like  calling  for  or  giving  an  explanation, 
but  Norine  did  not  come  so  frequently  to  see  Mother 
Hawkins,  and  the  dear,  loving  heart  began  to  wonder 
and  grow  sad.  Her  health  had  been  failing  for  some 
time,  and  she  needed  more  than  ever  the  sustaining 
power  of  filial  love. 

Spring  was  approaching,  and  Sam  grew  impatient. 
Norine's  doubt  concerning  Barney  did  not  seem  to  pro- 
duce any  kindlier  feeling  toward  Sam.  She  began  to 
connect  all  her  trouble  with  him,  and,  without  under- 
standing the  reason  for  it,  to  fear  him  and  shun  him. 
He  determined  on  a  bold  stroke.  The  last  dance  of 
the  season  would  be  held  at  Sixteen,  Saturday,  May 
6th.  If  he  could  arrange  it  so  that  Lettie  should  go 
with  Barney,  or,  at  the  least,  so  that  Norine  should  be- 
lieve they  were  going  together,  he  might  take  advan- 
tage of  her  pique  and  take  her  to  the  dance  himself 
and  settle  things  that  night.  Lettie  would  have  to  help 
him  whether  she  liked  it  or  not,  and  the  sooner  it  was 
understood  the  better. 

After  considerable  thought  he  contrived  what  seemed 
to  him  a  plausible  argument  intended  to  convince  Lettie 
of  the  necessity  of  her  going  to  the  dance  with  Barney ; 
but  when  he  explained  it  to  her  she  refused  indignantly 
and  then  burst  into  tears.  She  pleaded  that  Barney 
cared  nothing  for  her;  that  he  was  devoted  to  Norine, 
and  would  wish  to  take  her;  that  Norine  was  her 
best  friend  and  she  could  not  think  of  offending  her; 
that  what  Sam  proposed  would  be  dishonorable,  and, 


igo  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

moreover,  might  subject  her  to  suspicion  and  humili- 
ation. 

Sam  broke  in  upon  her  protestations  and  insisted 
that  Norine  and  Barney  were  out ;  that  Barney  would 
be  only  too  glad  to  take  her,  and  Norine  wouldn't  care ; 
that  he  was  giving  up  his  own  hoped-for  pleasure  in 
taking  her,  because  special  reasons  of  great  importance 
to  him  required  that  she  should  go  with  Barney.  She 
should  know  all  in  good  time.  If  she  cared  anything 
about  pleasing  him,  she  would  yield  her  preferences, 
this  once,  as  he  had,  and  make  sure  of  doing  as  he  re- 
quested. It  might  take  a  little  time  to  arrange,  but 
she  could  do  it  if  she  had  a  mind  to  use  her  cleverness 
a  little  to  accomplish  the  desired  result.  After  the 
thing  was  over,  he  would  reward  her  in  a  way  she 
would  like  best. 

With  sophistry  and  flattery  and  promises  he  so  con- 
fused the  poor  girl  that  before  she  realized  what  she 
had  done  she  agreed  to  attempt  the  task  from  which 
her  soul  revolted.  Her  mission  was  foredoomed  to 
failure,  and  she  knew  it,  yet  she  persisted  hopelessly. 
As  the  time  for  the  dance  drew  near,  she  contrived  to 
speak  of  it  often,  and  let  fall  numerous  remarks  to  the 
effect  that  Norine  was  planning  to  go  with  Sam  Haw- 
kins. One  day,  after  calling  attention  to  the  fact  that 
Sam's  arrangement  to  take  Norine  left  herself  and 
Barney  without  companions,  she  asked  him  if  he  would 
not  like  to  take  her,  and  rinding  that  he  did  not  respond 
with  alacrity,  she  begged  him  to  let  her  go  with  him 
to  show  the  others  that  they  were  not  limited  to  one 
companion. 

Barney  was  puzzled  and  embarrassed.  He  admired 
Lettie  for  her  beauty  and  vivacity,  and  for  her  devoted 
work  among  the  children  of  her  school,  but  he  was 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  191 

unwilling  for  more  reasons  than  one  to  accede  to  the 
proposition  she  had  made.  At  last  he  told  her  bluntly 
but  kindly  that  he  was  very  much  flattered  by  her  will- 
ingness  to  go  to  the  dance  with  him,  but  that  if  he 
could  not  take  the  girl  of  his  choice,  whom  he  had  been 
expecting  to  take,  he  would  go  alone. 

Poor  defeated  Lettie  could  only  implore  him  not  to 
tell  any  one  that  she  had  been  so  unmaidenly  as  to  ask 
him  to  take  her,  and  then  hasten  away  to  drown  her 
humiliation  in  tears  in  the  privacy  of  her  room. 

The  meeting  with  Sam  the  following  afternoon  on 
her  way  home  from  her  school  was  a  bitter  experience 
for  the  proud  girl.  When  she  told  him  of  her  defeat 
and  added  that  Barney  would  surely  ask  Norine  to  go 
with  him  when  he  discovered  the  truth  of  the  matter, 
Sam  flew  into  a  rage,  and  made  the  girl  who  had  humili- 
ated herself  in  the  effort  to  serve  him,  the  victim  of  his 
wrath.  The  interview  was  brief  and  bitter. 

Lettie  stood  still  for  some  minutes  after  Sam  had 
gone,  her  breath  coming  in  short  sobs,  and  her  cheeks 
alternately  paling  and  flushing.  A  struggle  was  going 
on  in  her  heart  between  the  love  which  dwelt  there  su- 
preme, and  a  stranger  which  came  to  wrest  it  from 
its  throne.  The  sun  was  sinking  toward  the  western 
forest.  The  unhappy  girl  looked  down  the  road  in  the 
direction  Sam  had  taken,  and  then,  turning,  fled  to  her 
room  and  gave  way  to  passionate  tears. 

Sam  was  boiling  with  wrath,  as  he  strode  along  the 
road  to  the  village.  He  saw  his  cherished  schemes 
threatened  with  defeat.  Nothing  but  desperate  meas- 
ures could  win  for  him  now.  He  inferred  from  what 
Lettie  had  told  him  that  Norine  still  thought  Barney 
was  planning  to  take  her  rival  to  the  dance.  If  any- 
thing was  to  be  done  it  must  be  done  quickly.  He 


192  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

would  make  a  last  attempt  with  the  girl  himself,  be- 
fore she  had  a  chance  to  come  to  an  understanding 
with  her  Irish  lover.  As  he  neared  Red-Keg  he  saw 
Norine  coming  up  the  road  alone,  Now  or  never,  he 
thought. 


CHAPTER   XIII 

"  LET  up,  you  Irish  devil !  Let  up,  I  say  f  Do  you 
want  to  murder  me  ? " 

"  Begorra,  no !  Murderin'  is  not  in  my  line,  me  boy. 
I've  given  ye  less  than  ye  desarve,  but  if  ye're  sorry 
for  what  ye  done,  git  up  and  apologize  to  the  lady  like 
a  man." 

"  I'll  see  you  in first ! "  snarled  Sam,  springing 

to  his  feet  and  whipping  out  a  revolver.  Before  he 
could  pull  the  trigger,  however,  the  brawny  fist  of 
Barney  O'Boyle  flashed  out  and  sent  him  measuring 
his  length  again  in  the  mud  of  the  road. 

"  So  that's  it,  is  it,  me  foine  college-brid  gintleman  ? 
Faith,  ye're  whipped  an'  don't  know  it.  We  must  lave 
no  grounds  for  unsartinty  this  time,"  and  heedless  of 
Sam's  howls  and  curses  Barney  rolled  him  over  on  his 
face  in  the  mud,  and  seizing  a  stout  switch  from  the 
roadside  began  to  apply  it  vigorously  to  the  back  and 
legs  of  the  prostrate  man. 

"  Oh,  Barney,  please  let  Mr.  Hawkins  go  now.  I 
think  he  is  sorry,  and  surely  you  have  punished  him 
enough." 

"  Well,  well,  Miss  Norine,  if  you  intersade  for  the 
man  as  has  insulted  and  threatened  ye,  I  reckon  I'll 
have  to  let  him  go,  but  first  we  must  put  that  shooter 
where  it  can't  go  off." 

As  he  stooped  to  secure  the  revolver  which  lay  on 
the  ground  near  Sam,  the  latter  suddenly  drew  up  his 
feet  and  aimed  a  vicious  kick  at  Barney's  face,  only 
13  *93 


194  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

missing  it  by  a  hand's  breadth  as  Barney  dodged  to  one 
side. 

"  Ha,  ha !  but  that  was  meant  well,  if  it  did  miss. 
If  it's  kickin'  ye  would  try,  ye'd  better  practise  up  a 
bit.  Ye  might  employ  Pete's  old  mule  for  a  teacher 
while  he's  not  workin',"  and  Barney  laughed  mockingly 
as  he  still  held  Sam  down  in  the  mud,  while  he  picked 
up  the  revolver  and  threw  it  over  the  fringe  of  bushes 
into  the  river  about  fifty  feet  from  the  road. 

"  I  promised  Norine  to  let  ye  go,  but,  begorra,  yer 
face  is  so  dirty  with  the  mud,  and  yer  blood  is  so  hot 
with  wicked  feelin's  that  I'm  a  mind  to  give  ye  a  dip  in 
the  Tittabawassee  to  clane  the  one  an'  cool  the  other." 

Lifting  Sam  Hawkins  to  his  feet,  with  a  quick  mo- 
tion Barney  caught  both  of  his  arms,  pinned  them  be- 
hind his  back,  and  rushed  him  through  the  bushes  down 
to  the  river's  edge.  Then  kicking  his  feet  from  under 
him  by  a  skilful  twist,  he  rolled  the  thoroughly  beaten 
man  into  the  cold  water. 

"  Now,  me  r)oy,  I'm  through  with  ye.  Swim  around 
a  bit  an'  cool  off,  or  go  home  an'  hang  yerself  up  to 
dry.  I'll  lave  the  decision  to  yerself,  while  I  see  Miss 
Norine  home,"  and  Barney  rejoined  the  frightened  girl 
in  the  road. 

"I'm  not  through  with  you,  Barney  O'Boylel" 
shouted  Sam,  as  he  crawled  out  of  the  water.  "  By  the 
eternal,  you  shall  suffer  for  this ! "  and  instead  of  turn- 
ing in  the  direction  of  his  home,  Sam  started  off  at  a 
rapid  pace  for  Red-Keg. 

"  Come,  Norine,  it's  time  for  the  likes  of  you  to  be 
home.  There's  a  good  two  miles  yet  to  walk  an'  yer 
mother  will  worry  her  dear  heart  out  of  her  mouth  if 
ye're  not  home  before  dark." 

"Oh,  Barney,  I'm  so  afraid  Sam  will  seek  revenge 


"  SWIM  AROUND  A  BIT  AN'  COOL  OFF,  OR  GO  HOMK  AN*  HANG 
YERSELF  UP  TO  DRY." 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  195 

on  you  for  this  afternoon.  He  is  not  one  to  forget 
such  a  beating  as  you  gave  him ! " 

"  An'  the  longer  he  remembers  it,  the  better  for  him 
an'  for  you.  He'll  not  be  so  likely  to  annoy  you  with 
his  attintions.  As  for  meself,  I'm  thinkin'  I'll  be  a 
match  for  him  if  he  wants  to  try  another  bout." 

"  It  is  not  that,  that  I  am  afraid  of,  Barney.  You  are 
more  than  a  match  for  him  in  a  fair  fight ;  but  he  may 
resort  to  underhanded  means  to  be  revenged.  Sam 
would  not  stop  at  anything,  however  dishonorable,  I 
am  afraid,  to  gain  his  purpose." 

"There,  now,  Norine,  don't  you  be  after  troublin' 
yer  pretty  head.  Barney  O'Boyle  will  carcumvent  the 
rascal  if  he  tries  any  dirty  tricks.  By  the  way,  Norine, 
I  have  a  bit  of  news  for  ye  that's  been  spilin'  for  the 
tellin',  an'  I  might  as  well " 

Barney  stopped  suddenly,  looked  up  and  down  the 
road,  cleared  his  throat,  took  off  his  hat,  brushed  his 
hair  up  from  his  forehead  with  one  hand,  put  on  his 
hat  again,  glanced  sideways  at  Norine,  and  then  walked 
on  in  silence. 

Meanwhile  Norine  looked  at  him  with  her  bright 
eyes  wide  open  in  expectancy  which  soon  changed  to 
surprise  at  Barney's  silence. 

"News,  Barney?  For  me?  Well,  why  don't  you 
tell  it  to  me  ?  I'm  waiting." 

"  Well,  you  see,  Norine,  I— that  is— don't  you  see,  I 
—faith,  Norine,  I'll  tell  ye  this  avenin'  after  supper." 

"  Now,  Barney !  Why  can't  you  tell  me  at  once  ?  I 
shall  die  of  curiosity  if  you  don't,"  and  Norine  lifted 
her  rosy  face  beseechingly  to  that  of  the  stalwart 
young  farmer  by  her  side,  and  pulled  on  his  sleeve  with 
a  teasing  and  at  the  same  time  caressing  touch  that 
made  the  young  man's  blood  tingle. 


196  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

"  Sure,  Norine,  who  could  resist  ye  ?  Will  ye  be  so 
smilin',  I'm  wonderin',  after  ye  hear  the  news  ?  It's 
just  this.  I — was  thinkin' — I  mean,  I  thought,  maybe 
— Howly  Saints!  what  was  that?"  Barney  jumped 
suddenly,  as  a  dismal  "  Hoo — Hoo — !  Hoo — Hoo ! " 
sounded  from  the  woods  that  lined  one  side  of  the  road. 

"  Pshaw,  Barney !  that  was  only  an  owl." 

"  So  it  was,  the  varmint !  I  must  be  narvous.  By 
the  way,  Norine,  are  ye  goin'  to  the  dance  at  Sixteen 
to-morrow  three  weeks  ? " 

"  I  don't  know  yet.     Why  ? " 

"  Well,  I  heerd  ye  were  goin'  with  Sam.  I'm  thinkin' 
ye'll  not  do  that  same  after  what  happened  this  after- 
noon ? " 

Barney  looked  quizzically  at  his  pretty  companion, 
and  a  grin  struggled  with  the  anxious  look  in  his  honest 
eyes. 

"  Who  in  the  world  said  I  was  going  with  Sam,  I 
should  like  to  know  ?  Me  go  to  the  dance  with  Sam 
Hawkins?  Well,  I  guess  not,  indeed!"  and  Norine 
gave  her  shoulders  a  little  shrug  of  disgust,  and  then 
broke  into  a  merry  laugh. 

"  Surely,  you  didn't  believe  a  word  of  that,  Barney  ? 
I  have  detested  that  man  for  some  time,  and  after  to- 
day I  fear  him.  It  is  too  bad,  but  I'm  afraid  he  is 
breaking  his  dear  father's  and  mother's  hearts.  But 
who  told  you  I  was  going  with  Sam,  Barney  ? " 

"  Lettie  said  as  how  you  were  goin'  with  him,  least- 
wise, that  he  wanted  ye  to,  an'  she  thought  ye  would." 

"  Lettie  is  mistaken.  Perhaps  Sam  told  her  a  false- 
hood. She  likes  him  so  well  herself  that  she  imagines 
every  one  else  does,  and  she  can't  understand  why  I  do 
not.  I  have  never  told  her  my  reasons,  because  it 
would  only  hurt  her,  and  she  is  a  dear  good  girl.  She 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  197 

is  blind  to  Sam's  faults,  and  cares  more  for  him  than 
he  deserves ;  but  she  is  a  charming  companion,  and  I 
suppose  you  will  have  a  nice  time  with  her  at  the  dance, 
won't  you  ? " 

There  was  a  slight  quaver  in  Norine's  voice,  although 
she  strove  to  conceal  it. 

"  Ye'r  jokin',  Norine!  I  never  went  to  a  dance  with 
Lettie  in  me  life,  an'  I'm  not  likely  to.  She's  a  swate 
girl  an'  all  that,  but  if  I  can't  take  the  one  of  me  choice, 
faith,  I'll  take  no  one,"  and  the  decision  manifest  in 
Barney's  voice  left  no  uncertainty  as  to  his  intentions. 

"  Whom  are  you  going  to  take,  then  ? "  asked  Norine, 
her  words  exhibiting  a  great  deal  more  curiosity  than 
she  really  felt.  She  did  not  look  at  Barney  as  she 
waited  for  the  answer. 

"Sure,  it'll  be  no  one  unless  it's  yerself,"  replied 
Barney;  then  he  added,  "I'll  borrow  Rock  and  the 
buckboard,  an'  the  trip  will  be  nice  an'  asy.  I'm 
thinkin'  there'll  be  a  full  moon,  an*  barrin*  rain,  the 
road  will  be  middlin'  dacint.  It's  the  last  dance  for  the 
sasen,  an'  we  don't  want  to  miss  it.  Ye'll  go,  Norine  ? " 

"  Yes,  since  you  are  not  going  to  take  Lettie,  I  will 
go  with  you,  and  be  pleased ;  but  is  that  the  news  that 
you  were  going  to  tell  me,  Barney  ? " 

"Well,  not  exactly;  that  is— why,  here  we  are  at 
your  gate,  Norine,  darlint,  an'  it's  supper-time.  The 
news  can  wait  until '* 

"  No  it  can't,  Barney.  It  may  be  something  I  would 
like  to  tell  the  folks.  Why  not  let  me  have  it  now  ? " 

"Faith,  Norine,  it  consarns  only  yerself— an'  me. 
It's  just  this,  darlint,  I  love  ye,  an'  I  want  ye  for  me 
own  little  wife.  Norine,  tell  me— why,  what  on  airth 
are  ye  laughin'  at  ? " 

"Why,  Barney!  that's  not  news.    I've  known  that 


I98  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

for  ever  so  long,"  and  Norine  tried  to  hide  the  blushes 
that  swept  over  her  pretty  face  by  laughing  merrily. 

"  Ye  don't  say !  Who  tould  ye  ? "  exclaimed  Barney, 
hardly  knowing  whether  to  be  pleased  or  provoked. 

"  Why,  you  have  told  me  yourself  hundreds  of  times, 
in  every  tone  of  your  voice  and  every  glance  of  your 
eyes.  You  told  me  again  this  afternoon  when  you  de- 
fended me  so  bravely  against  Sam  Hawkins — yet — I — 
am — glad  to  hear  you  tell  it  to  me  now,  Barney,"  and 
Norine  looked  up  frankly  into  the  blushing  face  of  the 
manly  swain,  who  had  been  taken  so  much  by  surprise 
by  her  unexpected  reception  of  his  avowal. 

"  God  bless  you,  Norine,  darlint !  I  thought  it  would 
be  news  to  ye.  But  maybe  you  have — ahem — have  ye 
any — any — news  for  me,  swateheart  ? "  Norine  dropped 
her  eyes  from  his  face.  Her  head  drooped  lower  and 
lower,  and  the  rich  blood  came  and  went  in  her  sweet 
face  and  neck.  She  stood  silently  twisting  her  bonnet 
strings  for  what  seemed  to  Barney  a  long  time.  At 
last,  his  boldness  returning  as  hers  seemed  to  be  wan- 
ing, he  reached  out  one  big  brawny  hand  and  took  pos- 
session of  one  of  her  little  ones.  Still  the  silence  con- 
tinued. He  gathered  in  the  other  little  hand ;  then  he 
drew  her  nearer,  and  a  strong  arm  stole  around  her 
shoulder. 

"  Look  up,  little  swateheart,  an'  tell  me  the  news,  the 
blessed  news, — if  ye  have  any  for  me." 

A  sly  glance,  another  blush,  and  then  the  answer 
came,  in  a  voice  so  low  that  Barney  had  to  bend  his 
head  closer  to  hers  to  hear. 

"  It — wouldn't  be  much  more  like  news  than  yours 
was,  because — because  I've  loved  you  almost  as  long 
as  you  have  loved  me." 

The  sweet  confession  ended  in  almost  a  whisper. 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  199 

Barney's  face  was  very  close  to  her  as  he  listened. 
Just  the  least  upward  turn  of  the  rosy  face  below  his — 
was  it  an  invitation,  or  only  a  permission  ?  He  never 
stopped  to  consider,  but  took  quickly  what  the  gods 
put  within  the  reach  of  his  lips.  Then,  with  a  sudden 
movement,  and  a  whispered  "Come  after  supper," 
Norine  had  freed  herself  and  was  flying  away  to  the 
house,  leaving  Barney  standing  in  the  road  trembling 
with  his  happiness. 


CHAPTER   XIV 

THERE  are  some  fires  which  water  will  not  quench. 
The  blaze  in  Sam's  breast  had  grown  into  a  conflagra- 
tion as  he  crawled  out  of  the  Tittabawassee  and  con- 
tinued his  interrupted  way  to  Red-Keg. 

"  I'll  be  even  with  that Irishman,  and  pay  the 

score  with  interest,"  he  snarled  between  his  teeth. 
"  And  that  hussy  who  flies  to  his  arms  for  protection 
— I'll  bring  her  off  her  high  and  lofty  perch  before 
she's  many  days  older.  They  shall  both  rue  this  day's 
work.  What  would  the  boys  say  if  they  were  to  catch 
me  in  this  fix  ?  Just  wait  a  bit ;  my  time'll  come  soon." 

Blinded  by  his  rage,  and  wholly  occupied  with  his  ugly 
thoughts,  he  hurried  along  the  road,  utterly  oblivious 
of  everything  else,  until  suddenly  glancing  up  he  found 
himself  almost  face  to  face  with  Robert  Allen,  who  was 
walking  rapidly  toward  him.  Without  stopping  for  a 
moment  to  think  what  he  should  do ;  without  respond- 
ing in  any  way  to  the  minister's  hearty  greeting  and 
anxious  inquiry,  Sam  turned  and  dashed  into  the  woods 
at  the  side  of  the  road  and  ran  and  scrambled  through 
the  trees  and  underbrush  as  if  in  mortal  fear  for  his 
life.  For  several  minutes  he  kept  up  his  wild  flight  re- 
gardless of  direction,  until  at  last,  becoming  aware  that 
he  was  not  pursued,  he  sank  trembling  upon  a  bank  of 
moss,  his  heart  thumping  in  his  breast  painfully.  The 
minister !  Of  all  men  the  one  he  wanted  least  to  see. 
And  why  ?  Why  had  he  instinctively  fled  from  the 
man  who  was  probably  the  best  friend  he  had  in  the 

200 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  201 

world  ?  Like  a  flash  he  recalled  the  minister's  words 
and  looks  a  year  and  a  half  ago,  when  he  had  talked  to 
him  after  saving  his  life.  He  had  told  Sam  that  he 
loved  him.  What  other  man,  even  his  father,  had  ever 
told  him  that  ?  Yet  Sam  dreaded  the  very  sight  of 
him.  Yes,  as  he  sat  there  trembling  in  the  gloom  of 
the  forest,  he  almost  felt  that  he  hated  him.  Why  had 
he  come  along  just  in  time  to  see  him  in  such  a  predica- 
ment ?  Why  did  his  tender  and  entreating  words  per- 
sist in  plaguing  Sam  ?  He  ground  his  teeth  in  wrath, 
and  choked  back  fiercely  the  still  small  voice  that  had 
suddenly  made  itself  heard  for  a  moment  in  his  inmost 
heart.  He  deliberately  turned  his  mind  again  to  Bar- 
ney and  fanned  his  vengeful  rage  into  a  blaze  again. 

With  some  difficulty  he  found  his  way  back  to  the 
road  and  turned  again  toward  Red-Keg,  keeping  a 
sharp  lookout  against  further  undesirable  meetings. 
When  he  reached  the  village,  shortly  before  dark,  he 
hastened  at  once  to  Pete's  and  put  on  a  dry  suit  of 
clothes,  borrowed  from  the  saloon-keeper,  while  his 
own  were  dried  before  the  fire.  While  waiting  about 
the  place,  and  repeating  to  first  one  and  then  another 
curious  questioner  a  lying  account  of  Barney's  attack 
upon  him,  he  caught  sight  of  Jim  Gyde  coming  out  of 
Jake  Vogel's  store.  At  first  he  paid  no  attention  to 
him,  but  a  moment  later  an  idea  took  possession  of  him, 
and  he  went  to  meet  the  tall  young  lumberman. 

Sam's  contempt  for  and  indifference  to  the  people 
among  whom  he  lived  had  caused  him  to  remain  igno- 
rant of  many  things  concerning  them  which  were  mat- 
ters of  common  knowledge  throughout  the  region,  and 
this  ignorance  now  led  him  into  a  humiliating  blunder. 
He  remembered  Jim  Gyde  as  one  of  the  most  reckless 
and  lawless  of  the  boys  in  the  Midland  school  when  he 


202  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

himself  had  attended  there.  He  had  heard  once  or 
twice  since  then  of  Jim's  scrapes,  and  he  had  been  told 
of  the  terrible  thrashing  the  fellow  had  received  the 
day  Lettie  and  the  other  girls  graduated.  Whenever 
Sam  had  seen  him,  he  had  been  vaguely  impressed  with 
his  size,  his  strength,  and  his  generally  forbidding  ap- 
pearance. He  assumed  that  he  was  the  same  kind  of 
a  man  now,  and  just  as  ready  for  mischief.  Perhaps 
he  would  be  just  the  one  to  enlist  in  Sam's  plan  of  re- 
venge. The  fact  that  Jim  might  be  one  of  Barney's 
friends  never  occurred  to  him.  He  accosted  the  young 
man,  much  to  the  latter' s  surprise,  and  with  a  jocose 
reminder  of  old  school-days,  which  Jim  received  in 
silence,  he  asked  him  to  walk  down  toward  the  river  a 
little  way,  as  he  had  something  particular  to  tell  him. 
As  Jim  wonderingly  complied,  Sam  told  his  version  of 
the  trouble  with  Barney,  and  asked  Jim  to  help  him 
"get  square  with  the  Mick."  Jim  listened  with  a  curi- 
ous expression  in  his  face,  which  the  gathering  dark- 
ness hid  from  his  companion. 

"  An'  what  can  I  do  ? "  he  asked.  "  Have  you  any- 
thin'  in  mind  ? " 

"  Well,  not  exactly,  don't  you  know,"  replied  Sam. 
"I  thought  you'd  be  a  match  for  him  in  anything, 
almost.  But  say,  they're  going  to  break  the  rollway 
soon,  ain't  they?  You'll  both  be  there,  I  suppose. 
Why  not  dump  him  in,  or  something  ? " 

Jim  grunted  nervously,  and  if  Sam  had  been  watch- 
ing him  closely  he  might  have  noticed  a  peculiar  twitch- 
ing of  the  long  ringers  which  were  suddenly  drawn 
from  his  capacious  pockets. 

"  Do  you  happen  to  know,  Mr. — Sam  Hawkins,  that 
to  'dump  him  in,  or  somethin',  while  the  logs  are  rollin' 
would  mean  that  he'd  git  chawed  up  an*  spread  along 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  203 

from  here  to  Midland  'most  as  sure  as  we're  standin' 
here  ?  Is  that  your  lay  ? — or  do  you  jes'  want  to  thump 
him  an'  call  it  square  ? "  Jim  leaned  forward  and  peered 
into  Sam's  face  as  he  spoke. 

"  Oh,  of  course  I  didn't  mean  to  ask  you  to  kill  him 
outright,"  said  Sam,  rather  taken  back.  "  I  thought  a 
good  ducking  and  scare  would  serve  him  right  for  what 
he  did  to  me.  If  he  got  any  more  than  that  it  would 
be  his  own  lookout.  He  pretends  to  be  so  smart  on 
the  river." 

"  You  sneakin',  lyin'  coward ! "  cried  Jim,  giving  way, 
at  last,  to  his  wrath ;  "  you  know  right  well  what  happens 
nine  times  out  of  ten  to  any  man  who  gits  off  his  feet 
in  the  rollway.  You've  picked  up  the  wrong  man  this 
time  to  do  your  dirty  work.  Hold  on  there ! "  he  ex- 
claimed, grabbing  Sam  by  the  shoulder,  as  the  latter  was 
turning  hastily  away.  "  I  ain't  through  yet.  You've 
picked  up  the  wrong  man,  as  I  was  sayin',  an'  you 
might  have  knowed  it  if  you  hadn't  been  too  stuck  on 
yourself  an'  too  busy  doin'  nothin'  to  notice  anybody 
else.  I  see  I'll  have  to  tell  you  that  I  ain't  the  Jim 
Gyde  you  used  to  know.  More'n  a  year  back  I  turned 
over  a  new  leaf  an'  started  in  to  be  somebody  an'  be- 
have like  a  man,  an'  it  strikes  me  you  better  do  the 
same  thing.  I'm  ashamed  to  talk  to  a  man  who's  been 
to  college  an'  had  the  chances  you've  had,  an'  tell  him 
what  he  ought  to  do ;  but  if  you  don't  look  sharp,  Mr. 
— Sam  Hawkins,  you'll  git  left  back  in  the  ruck,  an' 
rough  chaps  like  me,  who  mean  business,  will  git  ahead 
of  you." 

He  loosened  his  grip  on  Sam's  coat ;  but  as  the  latter 
wrenched  himself  away,  he  sprang  quickly  forward  and 
seized  him  again. 

"  I  forgot  to  tell  you  another  thing,"  he  said.    "  Bar- 


204  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

ney  an'  me  are  special  friends.  We've  worked  side  by 
side  in  rollways  before,  an'  likely  will  in  this  one.  I'll 
keep  my  eyes  peeled."  With  this  parting  shot,  he  let 
the  discomfited  and  angry  plotter  go. 

Sam  was  fairly  choking  with  shame  and  rage  and 
unable  to  make  any  retort  to  the  tongue-lashing  he  had 
received  from  one  whom  he  had  considered  so  greatly 
his  inferior.  The  thought  of  a  lecture  from  the  minis- 
ter was  bad  enough,  but  that  this  coarse,  ignorant 
logger  should  presume  to  preach  to  him  was  in- 
tolerable. Moreover,  the  truth  in  what  he  had  said 
stung  Sam  to  the  core.  He  hastened  back  to  Pete's 
and  began  to  drink  recklessly.  As  the  fumes  mounted 
to  his  head  he  talked  more  and  more  loudly,  heedless 
of  who  might  hear  him.  A  stranger,  clad  in  a  loose 
flannel  shirt,  and  trousers  tucked  into  high  boots,  sat 
near  the  door.  A  short  thick  overcoat,  a  stout  stick, 
and  a  small  bundle  lay  on  the  floor  by  his  side.  He 
listened  for  a  while  to  Sam's  angry  tirade  against  Bar- 
ney, and  presently,  strolling  up  to  the  bar  where  Sam 
stood,  he  said,  confidentially : 

"  Look  here,  partner ;  I  used  to  know  a  young  fellow 
of  that  name  some  years  ago.  Wonder  if  it  could  be 
the  same.  He  played  me  a  dirty  trick,  and  I've  been 
biding  my  time  ever  since  to  get  even." 

Sam  glared  at  the  man  for  a  moment,  and  then  asked 
rudely : 

"How  should  I  know?" 

"  It  ought  to  be  easy  enough  to  tell  if  it's  the  same 
one,"  replied  the  stranger.  "  The  chap  I  knew,  con- 
found him,  came  from  Ireland  about  eight  or  nine  years 
ago  with  a  family  by  the  name  of  Maloney.  I  met  him 
in  New  York  soon  after  he  landed,  but  he  went  West, 
and  I  lost  track  of  him." 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  205 

"  He's  the  man  all  right,"  growled  Sam,  eyeing  the 
stranger  with  new  interest.  "  He's  here,  just  out  of 
the  village,  and  I'd  like  to  break  his  neck." 

"  Just  what  I've  said  myself  many  a  time.  Have  one 
on  me,"  rejoined  the  stranger,  calling  Pete,  who  placed 
a  fresh  bottle  before  them. 

"What  did  he  ever  do  to  you?"  asked  Sam,  as 
he  accepted  the  glass  the  stranger  had  filled  for  him, 
but  did  not  notice  that  he  had  forgotten  to  fill  one  for 
himself. 

"  Oh,  he — that  is  I — why  I  did  him  a  kindness  in 
New  York,  £nd  he  repaid  it  with — the  meanest  trick  I 
ever  had  played  on  me.  I  don't  like  to  talk  about  it," 
he  added,  to  explain  his  hesitation,  "  but  if  I  could  only 
get  hold  of  him  again,  I'd — come  sit  down  over  in  the 
corner,  my  friend,  where  we  can  talk  without  being 
heard,  and  we'll  let  our  genial  host  here  keep  us  sup- 
plied with  refreshments  as  we  want  them." 

Sam  yielded,  glad  to  find  any  one  with  a  grievance 
against  Barney  who  would  listen  sympathetically  to  his 
story  of  wrongs — and,  perhaps  to  his  plans  for  revenge. 
His  rage  at  Barney  and  at  Jim  Gyde,  and  the  conflict- 
ing emotions  aroused  by  the  sight  of  the  minister,  had 
caused  him  to  lose  his  self-control,  and  he  drank  more 
freely  than  was  his  custom,  growing  more  and  more 
confidential  with  his  new  friend  at  the  same  time.  An 
hour  or  so  passed,  and  the  stranger  rose  with  a  yawn. 

"  Guess  our  young  friend  ain't  used  to  much  indul- 
gence," he  remarked  to  Pete,  with  a  laugh.  "  He  seems 
to  be  getting  sleepy.  Better  let  him  bunk  here  if 
you've  got  any  room." 

"That's  all  right;  I'll  'tend  to  him,"  replied  Pete. 
"  He  kin  hev  the  room  he  an'  his  pals  hev  used  before. 
He'll  be  all  right  in  the  mornin'." 


206  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

When  morning  came,  however,  Sam  was  far  from  all 
right.  His  head  ached,  and  he  felt  ugly  clear  through. 
An  important  meeting  of  the  Invincibles  had  been  ap- 
pointed for  that  morning  at  their  regular  rendezvous. 
He  was  in  no  mind  to  go,  but  he  feared  what  the  other 
boys  might  do  in  his  absence,  so  he  braced  up  as  best 
he  could  and  started  for  the  island.  The  Invincibles 
were  not  in  the  most  friendly  state  of  mind  when  the 
time  for  the  meeting  came  and  Sam  had  not  arrived. 
They  waited  impatiently  until  dinner-time.  After  din- 
ner their  displeasure  began  to  find  vent  in  remarks 
that  testified  to  Sam's  waning  prestige  as  leader.  Yet 
they  had  no  choice  for  the  present  but  to  stick  to- 
gether. Shortly  after  dinner  Sam's  call  was  heard  at 
the  south  landing,  and  old  blind  Pomp,  who  had  re- 
placed his  sight  with  some  other  mysterious  and  almost 
equally  serviceable  sense,  hastened  off  in  the  boat  to 
bring  his  young  master  to  the  island.  In  a  few  minutes 
Sam  entered  the  cave  and  threw  himself  down  upon  a 
seat  without  a  word  of  greeting,  but  looking  tired  and 
ugly. 

"  What's  up,  old  man  ?  You  look  as  if  you  had  been 
trying  to  act  as  peacemaker  between  two  gangs  of 
rivermen.  Nothing  wrong,  I  hope  ? "  inquired  Seward 
as  cordially  as  possible. 

"  Everything's  wrong,  wrong  as  hell,"  growled  Sam ; 
but  except  for  a  fictitious  account  of  his  fight  with 
Barney,  the  boys  failed  to  get  anything  from  him  in 
explanation  of  his  present  mood  or  his  intentions  for 
the  future.  The  meeting  was  called  to  discuss  plans 
for  getting  more  corn  to  the  North  Shore  without 
arousing  suspicion,  and  increasing  the  output  of  "  Mys- 
tic Brand  "  to  meet  the  large  demands  from  the  numer- 
ous logging-camps  where  the  men  had  finished  their 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  207 

spring  cleaning  up  and  were  indulging  in  their  usual 
spree  before  resorting  to  the  rollway.  After  the  In- 
vincibles  had  finished  their  deliberations,  Sam,  with  a 
cautious  sign  to  Bill  to  join  him  in  a  few  minutes  with- 
out letting  the  others  know  it,  strolled  off  toward  the 
other  end  of  the  island.  There  the  two  young  men  re- 
mained in  earnest  conversation  for  some  time,  after 
which  they  separated  and  returned  to  the  cave  from 
different  directions.  Already  the  Invincibles  were  "a 
house  divided  against  itself." 

Lettie  Green  left  her  room  Saturday  morning  under 
the  spur  of  a  new  resolution.  There  was  something 
she  must  know  at  once.  The  burden  on  her  heart  was 
too  heavy  to  carry  alone.  She  sought  out  Norine,  that 
she  might  ask  her  the  strange  question  which  she  be- 
lieved could  only  be  answered  one  way,  yet  which  she 
dreaded  might  bring  another  answer.  Norine  was 
shocked  at  her  friend's  haggard  face  and  swollen  eyes, 
and  with  a  quick  rush  of  sympathy  she  put  her  arms 
around  her  and  led  her  into  the  fields,  where  they  could 
be  alone. 

"Tell  me  all  about  it,  dear,"  she  said,  soothingly. 

"Norine,"  exclaimed  Lettie,  hysterically,  "tell  me 
truly,  do  you  love  him  ?  Do  you  care  the  least  bit  for 
him  ?  I  don't  believe  it,  but  I  must  hear  the  truth 
from  your  own  lips,"  and  she  looked  beseechingly  into 
the  astonished  eyes  of  her  friend,  and  found  that  she 
was  blushing  furiously. 

"  Why,  Lettie,  dear,  how  you  surprised  me.  Whom 
do  you  mean  ? " 

Lettie's  face  grew  suddenly  red,  and  her  eyes  dropped 
before  Norine's  astonished  gaze,  as  she  said  in  a  low 
tone: 


208  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

"Sam." 

"Sam  Hawkins!  How  can  you — "  began  Norine, 
with  flashing  eyes  and  a  voice  full  of  scorn ;  then  as 
she  saw  her  friend's  look  of  pain  and  anxiety,  she  con- 
tinued more  softly,  "  No,  Lettie,  I  certainly  do  not  love 
Sam  in  the  very  least.  I  fear  him.  You  do  not  know. 
Why  do  you  ask,  dear  ? " 

A  look  of  relief  struggled  with  the  pain  in  the  un- 
happy girl's  face  as  she  replied:  "I  know  you  love 
Barney,  and  God  bless  your  love.  He  is  worthy  of  it. 
If  only  Sam — .  Oh,  Norine,  you  do  not  know  what 
torture  it  is  to  love  and  remain  unloved — to  love  and 
to  know  the  one  you  love  is  unworthy — to  love  and  be 
spurned,  and  still  to  love — to  feel  your  love  turn  to 
hate,  and  then  feel  the  hate  melt  away  in  the  love  that 
will  not  quench — to  dishonor  yourself  for  the  sake  of 
that  love,  and  know  that  you  have  gained  nothing  by 
it  after  all.  God  help  me — I  could  not  keep  it  to  my- 
self any  longer." 

Norine  made  no  reply,  but  simply  drew  the  heart- 
broken girl  closely  in  her  arms  and  shed  tears  of  sym- 
pathy which  were  more  eloquent  than  words. 


CHAPTER   XV 

THE  early  morning  sun  was  shining  through  the  tree- 
tops  ;  the  moist  fragrance  of  spring  rilled  the  air,  and 
forest  birds  were  singing  a  welcome  to  sun  and  flowers. 
There  was  something  singing  in  Barney's  heart,  too,  as 
he  strode  along  through  the  woods  on  the  way  to  Red- 
Keg.  The  song  in  his  heart  found  expression  in  the 
rhythm  of  his  buoyant  steps  and  the  cheery  whistle  that 
came  from  his  lips.  He  had  won  his  dear  love.  What 
mattered  all  else  in  the  world?  His  little  rub  with 
Sam  the  previous  afternoon  was  hardly  worth  a 
thought,  certainly  not  a  regret.  He  had  borne  his  own 
indignities  a  long  time  patiently,  for  Uncle  Si's  sake, 
and  he  was  rather  glad  of  an  excuse  to  settle  with  Sam 
on  some  one  else's  behalf.  Besides,  had  it  not  supplied 
just  the  spur  his  courage  had  needed  to  make  the  long- 
deferred  avowal  to  Norine?  Now  his  heart  was  as 
light  as  a  bird,  and  he  wondered  why  he  had  waited  so 
long.  To  commemorate  the  happy  occasion  he  was 
on  the  way  to  Red-Keg  to  look  for  a  present  for  his 
"  swateheart." 

Barney's  progress  toward  the  village  and  his  blithe- 
some whistle  were  suddenly  interrupted  by  a  rough 
challenge :  "  Hold  on,  there,  Barney  O'Boyle !  Not  so 
fast  ef  ye  please." 

A  tall,  heavy-set  man  sprang  into  the  road  from  be- 
hind a  large  tree  and  barred  the  way.  He  was  clad  in 
similar  fashion  to  Barney,  in  rough  flannel  shirt  and 
long-legged  cow-hide  boots,  and  he  carried  a  stout  stick. 
14  2og 


210  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

Barney  gazed  at  him  a  minute  in  astonishment,  and 
then  broke  into  a  hearty  laugh. 

"  What  on  airth  do  ye  mane,  Tom  Moore,  by  skarin' 
the  life  out  o'  me  like  that  ?  Was  ye  waitin'  for  me  ? " 

"  Thet's  jes  what  I  was,  Barney.  I  arrest  ye,  in  the 
name  o'  the  law,"  and  big  Tom  Moore  stepped  nearer 
and  placed  his  hand  on  the  other's  shoulder. 

Barney  did  not  move  a  muscle,  but  stared  into  Tom's 
face  for  several  seconds  before  answering.  He  could 
not  imagine  the  cause  of  this  strange  act.  He  and 
Tom  Moore,  the  village  constable,  were  bosom  friends, 
and  he  suspected  a  joke,  but  Tom  Moore  was  not  given 
to  playing  practical  jokes  on  his  friends,  so  Barney 
looked  at  him  earnestly  to  make  sure  whether  he  was 
in  earnest.  A  tell-tale  twinkle  stole  into  the  stern  eyes 
and  quickly  disappeared,  but  Barney  saw  it. 

"  An'  what  might  ye  be  arrestin'  me  for,  yer  honor  ? " 
he  asked,  banteringly. 

"  Fer  fellernously  assaultin'  an'  attemptin'  t:>  murder 
one  Sam  Hawkins — to  say  nothin'  o'  givin'  him  a  bath 
in  the  Tittabawassee  agin  his  will,  an'  with  his  cloze 
on." 

As  Tom  Moore  finished  stating  his  charge,  his  face 
relaxed,  a  grin  spread  over  it,  and  in  a  minute  both  he 
and  Barney  were  laughing  aloud  together. 

"  I  couldn't  keep  it  up,  Barney,"  said  Tom  at  last,  in 
quite  a  different  tone  from  that  which  he  had  lately 
assumed.  "Folks  that  ain't  got  a  guilty  conscience 
don't  skair  wuth  a  cent ;  an'  when  ye  saw  through  the 
joke  so  easy,  I  had  to  give  in.  Sam  made  complaint 
agin  ye  last  night  for  tryin'  to  murder  him,  an'  wanted 
me  to  put  ye  in  jail,  but  I  laughed  at  him  an'  told  him 
I'd  hear  your  story  fust.  Are  ye  goin'  to  the  Keg^ 
Ef  so,  I'll  walk  along  with  ye." 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  211 

"It's  little  story  ye'll  nade,  I'm  thinkin',  Tom.  Ye 
know  Sam  Hawkins,  an'  ye  know  me,  an'  to  come  to 
the  pint,  ye  must  have  seen  how  Sam  has  been  pester- 
in'  Miss  Norine  with  his  attintions.  She's  towld  him 
repatedly  that  she  can  dispinse  with  his  company  an' 
not  pine  for  the  lack  of  it,  but  the  rapscallion  refuses  to 
take  the  hint,  an'  buzzes  round  her  like  a  pesky  horse- 
fly. The  more  she  won't,  bedad,  the  more  he  will,  an' 
yisterday  he  had  the  impidence,  consarn  'im,  to  waylay 
her  on  the  road  and  threaten  her,  sayin'  he'd  have  her 
whether  she  liked  it  or  not.  The  brave  little  girl  scorned 
him,  an'  the  varmint  was  makin'  a  grab  for  her,  when 
I  made  me  ontray  like  a  play-actin'  hero.  About  that 
same  minit  Sam  Hawkins  got  taken  weak  in  the  knees, 
or  somewhere,  kinder  sviddint  like,  an'  lay  down  in  the 
mud.  Somethin'  must  have  made  the  gintleman  nar- 
vous,  for  in  two  more  minits  he  was  foolin'  with  his  pis- 
tol, an'  I  thought  it  me  duty  to  relave  him  of  it  for  fear 
he  might  think  it  wasn't  loaded,  an'  hit  somebody. 
There  bein'  nothin'  better  for  him  to  do  just  then  he 
lay  down  in  the  road  agin !  Faith,  it  was  a  shame  to 
lave  him  go  home  all  over  mud,  so  what  did  I  do,  in 
the  kindness  of  me  heart,  but  try  to  clane  the  mud 
off  with  a  stick,  which  same  bein'  not  quite  satisfac- 
tory, I  helped  it  out  with  the  water  of  the  Tittabawas- 
see.  The  last  I  seen  of  him  he  was  bathin'  there  quite 
paceable." 

"  Ye  done  right,  Barney,  so  far  as  I  can  see,"  de- 
clared the  constable,  heartily,  "but  I'm  afraid  ye'll 
hear  from  Sam  in  a  way  ye  least  expect.  He's  one  to 
nuss  a  grudge  till  doomsday,  an'  he's  sworn  to  git  even 
with  ye." 

"  Begorra,  let  him  try  it  on— when  he  fales  the  nade 
of  another  bath,"  laughed  Barney. 


212  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

"  It's  not  fightin'  he'll  try  next  time.  Ye  may  rest 
sure  of  that,  Barney,  an'  ye'd  best  look  out  for  his  tricks. 
He'll  be  up  to  some  devilment,  I'm  afraid.  He  wuz 
mad  clean  through  las'  night,  an'  made  no  bones 
o*  sayin'  he  hoped  ye'd  git  kilt  in  the  rollway  nex' 
week." 

"  In  which  same  I'll  decline  the  honor  of  obligin'  him. 
Ye  better  tell  him  to  be  keerful  himself.  I've  noticed 
that  them  as  wish  others  harm  are  ginerally  the  fust  to 
git  hurted." 

"  Thet's  so,  Barney,  but  he  won't  git  hurt  in  the  roll- 
way,  fer  the  very  good  reason  that  he  won't  be  there ; 
it's  too  much  like  work  for  him  an'  his  pals.  The 
chances  are  they'll  be  off  somewhere  in  the  woods 
doin'  the  devil  knows  what." 

"  It's  true,  ye  are,  Tom ;  the  b'y's  not  much  good  at 
all.  His  college  larnin's  made  him  lazy,  but  he  kapes 
the  devil  busy  findin'  mischief  fer  his  idle  hands  to  do. 
His  good  owld  mother  an'  father  are  breakin'  their 
hearts  for  him,  though  he  ain't  wuth  it." 

"  I  seen  Sam  talkin'  to  a  strange  chap  at  Pete's  las' 
night,"  resumed  Tom,  "  an'  I  didn't  like  the  looks  o' 
the  feller.  He's  never  been  roun'  these  parts  before, 
an'  he  came  from  nowhere.  Fust  anybody  knowed  he 
was  sittin'  round  in  Pete's  jes'  as  cool  an'  comftable  's 
if  he'd  lived  here  all  his  life.  When  he  heard  Sam 
lambastin'  ye,  he  kinder  jined  in  sympethetic  like,  an' 
then  he  an'  Sam  sat  down  in  a  corner  together  an'  was 
talkin'  kinder  low  an'  quiet  fer  'bout  an  hour.  I  kep' 
my  eye  on  'em,  though  o'  course  I  couldn't  go  near 
enough  to  hear  anythin'.  The  chap  didn't  leave  until 
Sam  had  drunk  hisself  pretty  near  under  the  table,  an' 
Pete  had  ter  drag  him  up-stairs  an'  put  'im  to  bed." 

The  two  friends  had  now  arrived  at  the  village  of 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  213 

Red-Keg,  and  Barney  was  on  the  point  of  excusing 
himself  to  Tom  in  order  that  he  might  perform  the 
errand  on  which  he  had  come  to  the  village,  when  Tom 
suddenly  nudged  him  and  remarked : 

"  See  that  dark-lookin'  feller  with  the  black  whiskers, 
talkin'  to  Pete?  Thet's  the  chap  Sam  was  chinnin' 
with  las'  night.  Let's  see  what  he  has  to  say." 

"  Mornin',  Tom ;  mornin',  Barney,"  called  out  Pete 
as  he  saw  the  newcomers  approaching.  "  Let  me  in- 
terjuce  this  here  gentleman,  Mr.  Jim  Lane,  who  came 
to  this  metropulus  to  start  a  store.  I've  been  tellin' 
him  'tain't  no  use.  One  store  an'  one  gin-mill  is  'bout 
all  we  need  here  jes  now,  an'  sence  he's  seed  the  place, 
he's  come  'roun*  to  my  way  o'  thinkin ' ;  thet  so,  stran- 
ger?" concluded  Pete,  turning  to  the  man  he  had  just 
introduced 

"It  looks  that  way,  indeed,"  assented  Mr.  Lane. 
4*  I  was  led  to  suppose  your  town  was  larger.  I  think 
I  shall  have  to  look  elsewhere ;  but  I  am  glad  to  meet 
you,  gentlemen.  What  names,  did  you  say  ? " 

"This  here's  Tom  Moore,  constable,  an*  t'other  is 
Barney  O' Boyle,  thet  lives  with  Farmer  Hawkins,  three 
miles  up  the  road.  Guess  I  forgot  ter  give  ye  their 
hull  names  before,"  apologized  Pete. 

^Lane  extended  his  hand,  and  the  others  took  it  some- 
what grudgingly  Barney  noticed  that  the  stranger 
eyed  him  more  than  once  with  peculiar  interest. 

"  I  am  told  that  you  expect  to  break  the  big  rollway 
in  a  few  days.  Is  it  much  of  a  sight  ? "  asked  Lane. 

"  Bet  yer  life ! "  exclaimed  Pete.  "  Biggest  rollway 
ever  piled  here  or  anywhere  on  airth.  Ef  ye  ain't  never 
seen  one,  ye'll  think  it's  a  sight.  They's  nigh  on  seven 
million  feet  o'  logs  down  there  now,  an'  some  loads 
ain't  in  yet.  Besides  that,  they's  other  rollways  along 


214  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

up  the  river  for  fifteen  or  twenty  miles  waitin'  for  the 
freshet." 

"  That  being  the  case,  I  think  I'll  stop  and  see  the 
job  done,  provided  it  will  be  soon.  I  can't  wait  more 
than  three  or  four  days." 

"They  calc'late  ter  do  it  Monday,  the  I7th,  or  Tues- 
day at  the  latest,  an'  to-day's  Saturday,  so  ye'll  not 
have  long  ter  wait.  Ef  ye're  a  mind  ter,  we'll  go  down 
t'  the  river  an'  see  it  now." 

Barney  and  Tom  Moore  consented  to  join  them, 
though  ordinarily  they  had  very  little  use  for  Pete's 
company,  and  all  four  were  soon  at  the  place  where  the 
great  rollway  was  being  filled  in.  The  stranger  exhib- 
ited the  liveliest  interest  at  once  as  he  saw  the  immense 
pile  of  logs  which  reached  from  the  high  bank  of  the 
river  on  one  side,  more  than  half-way  to  booms  which 
marked  the  edge  of  the  mud  flats  on  the  opposite  side, 
and  extended  for  a  distance  of  over  half  a  mile  up  the 
river,  and  which  was  being  heaped  up  by  means  of 
skids  until  the  top  was  twenty  or  thirty  feet  above  the 
higher  bank  and  fully  sixty  feet  above  the  water. 

"  Surely  all  those  logs  didn't  come  from  hereabout ! " 
he  exclaimed.  "  And  how  in  the  world  can  their  own- 
ers tell  them  apart  and  separate  them  after  the  rollway 
is  broken  ? " 

"  Them  logs  hev  been  comin'  here  all  winter  from  all 
pints  o'  the  compass,"  began  Pete,  with  great  relish. 
He  was  never  so  happy  as  when  imparting  information 
— or  gossip — to  an  interested  listener.  "  Some  fellers, 
small  lumbermen,  settlers,  an'  the  like,  bring  mebbe 
one  small  load  a  day  with  the  on'y  ox-team  they  got. 
Then  agin  they'll  be  the  big  operator  thet  sen's  in  a 
dozen  ox-loads,  or  mebbe  a  hull  train-load  from  up  the 
line.  Big  an'  little,  all  goes  in  together  to  make  the 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  215 

pile  ye  see.  Every  log  is  scaled  an'  branded  on  the 
end  before  it  goes  in,  an'  every  man  kin  tell  his  own 
logs,  when  it  comes  ter  siftin'  'em  out  at  the  booms 
down  the  river." 

"  How  do  they  start  that  great  pile  of  logs  moving  ? 
It  looks  to  me  as  if  nothing  short  of  an  earthquake 
would  do  it." 

"Wai,  ye  see,  looks  is  deceivin'.  What  with  the 
river  bein'  swollen  at  this  time  o'  year,  an'  nateral 
tendency  o'  logs  to  roll,  like  as  not  one  man  kin  do  the 
trick." 

"One  man!  Surely  you  are  joking,"  exclaimed 
Lane. 

"  Fact,  my  friend ;  but  it's  mighty  resky.  Thet  pile 
o'  logs  hes  ter  be  started  from  the  bottom,  an'  it  ain't 
no  job  for  any  man  thet's  skeery.  Es  I  say,  one  man 
migJit  do  the  trick  alone  ef  he  got  holt  o'  the  right  log 
at  the  bottom,  but  more'n  likely  they'll  be  a  dozen  or 
twenty  at  p'ints  along  the  river,  an'  maybe  they'll  break 
the  railway  in  two  or  three  sections.  Anyhow,  ye'll 
see  'em  go  down  there  at  the  fut  o'  the  pile  o'  logs, 
squint  along  close  ter  the  water,  till  they  git  their  eyes 
on  the  log  thet  looks  ter  be  the  lock  fer  the  hull  com- 
bination ;  then  with  peavies  or  cant-hooks  they'll  yank 
the  log  out,  an'  the  chances  are  thet  before  ye  kin  say 
'Jack  Robinson'  more'n  once,  down  comes  a  few  thou- 
sand logs,  rollin',  crash  in',  splashin',  an  mebby  the  hull 
rollway  is  on  the  move." 

"  Wonderful ! "  exclaimed  Lane ;  "  but  what  on  earth 
becomes  of  the  man  who  loosened  the  first  log?  I 
should  think  he  would  be  crushed  to  death  in  an 
instant." 

"  Oh,  he's  used  to  it,  an' " 

"  What !  used  to  being  crushed  to  death  ? " 


216  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

"  Course  not !  used  to  breakin'  rollways,  an'  he  kin 
most  gener'ly  look  out  fer  hisself.  Some  o'  the  fellers 
roun'  here  have  broke  so  many  thet  they  think  no 
more  of  it  than  eatin'  their  breakfas'.  Barney,  here, 
is  a  cool  han'  at  the  job,  an'  like's  not  will  be  in  this 
one — eh,  Barney  ? "  and  Pete  turned  a  questioning  eye 
on  the  young  Irishman. 

"  I'm  thinkin'  they'll  want  all  the  help  they  kin  get, 
an'  ye'll  be  likely  to  see  me  there  —  if  me  huntin' 
ingagements  will  allow,"  assented  Barney,  grinning 
suggestively. 

Lane's  interest  seemed  to  increase,  and  he  turned  to 
Barney  as  though  on  the  point  of  speaking  to  him,  but 
instead  he  said  to  Pete : 

"  Do  you  mean  to  tell  me  that  men  can  go  down  into 
the  river  under  that  mountain  of  logs  towering  sixty 
feet  above  them,  loosen  a  key  log  here  and  there,  which 
lets  the  whole  mighty  mass  down  like  an  avalanche, 
and  yet  escape  with  their  lives  ? " 

"Yep;  thet's  right.  I've  seen  Barney,  here,  an' 
many  another  like  him,  go  down  under  the  front  of  a 
rollway,  pick  out  a  suspicious  log  at  the  bottom,  flop 
his  cant-hook  'round  it,  an'  give  it  a  yank  as  uncon- 
cerned like  as  a  dentist  turn-key  in'  an  obstrep'rous 
tooth.  With  a  crash  an'  a  roar  down  comes  the  logs, 
an'  fust  thing  ye  know,  there  is  Barney  hoppin'  an'  trip- 
pin'  on  the  rollin'  logs,  like  the  bareback  rider  in  the 
circus,  till,  when  they  hev  stopped  movin',  he's  standin' 
on  the  logs  at  the  top  o'  the  heap,  smilin'  an'  wavin' 
his  han's  an'  makin'  his  bow  to  the  cheerin'  public  on 
the  bank!" 

"That  is  certainly  a  marvellous  feat!"  declared 
Lane ;  "  but  are  there  not  accidents  often  ? " 

"  Sometimes,  but  not  so  often  as  a  stranger  might 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  217 

think.  Las'  spring,  Moses  Hawley  was  tryin*  to  break 
the  rollway.  He  got  holt  o'  the  right  log,  sure  'nuf, 
but  there  ain't  been  nothin'  seen  o'  him  sence.  Mebbe 
ye'll  see  his  widder — thunder !  there  she  is  now ;  see 
her  walkin'  along  the  river-bank  up  yonder  es  though 
she  war  lookin'  fer  somethin'  ?  Poor  critter,  she's  a 
little  gone  in  the  head,  an'  she  comes  here  every  day, 
rain  or  shine,  lookin'  fer  Mose.  Yer  can't  make  her 
b'lieve  she  won't  find  him  some  day." 

"  Let  us  hope  she  will,"  said  Lane,  quietly.  Pete 
laughed  at  what  he  thought  was  intended  as  a  joke,  but 
Barney  glanced  at  the  stranger  with  a  quick  thrill  of 
surprise. 

"Is  there  no  other  way  to  break  the  rollway? 
Couldn't  they  fasten  a  rope  to  the  key  log  and  pull  it 
out  ? "  asked  Lane. 

"  Nope.  Rope's  been  tried,  but  it  gets  tangled  with 
the  logs  an'  makes  a  jam.  Onct  I  saw  a  yoke  o'  oxen 
thet  was  haulin'  on  a  rope  get  pulled  in  an'  rolled  into 
jelly  afore  any  one  could  cut  the  rope.  The  man-way's 
the  surest  an'  best." 

"  Why  can't  they " 

"  Hey,  there,  Pete !  The  boys  is  breakin'  loose  up  in 
the  Kag.  Better  come  up  before  they's  any  broken 
heads  an'  glass,"  and  Bob  Simons,  the  saloon  roust- 
about, after  coming  near  enough  to  yell  out  this  bit  of 
information  to  the  proprietor  of  the  Red  Keg,  turned 
back  to  the  scene  of  the  scrimmage,  Pete  following  in 
a  hurry. 

"  What's  the  trouble  ? "  asked  Lane,  addressing  Bar- 
ney. 

"  Faith,  it's  nothin'  but  two  river  teams  been  fillin' 
up,  an'  gettin'  frisky.  They're  after  nnishin'  their 
work  up  the  line,  an'  have  a  day  off  till  the  rollway  is 


2i8  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

broken.  Them  teams  are  jealous,  an'  it's  likely  they 
been  disputin'  which  could  do  the  biggest  stunts.  Once 
they  git  at  it,  begorra,  they're  wuss  than  Kilkenny 
cats,  an'  won't  let  up  till  every  mother's  son  o'  thim 
is  laid  up  for  repairs.  Pete's  gone  up  to  protict  his 
property." 

"  Why  don't  you  go  up  there,  Mr.  Moore,  and  put  a 
stop  to  the  row  ?  Some  one  may  be  killed.  Aren't 
you  constable?"  inquired  Lane,  evidently  surprised  at 
the  apparent  indifference  of  the  village  officer. 

"  Ye  don't  understand  the  situation,  my  friend,"  re- 
plied Tom  Moore ;  "  but  ye're  right  in  sayin'  some  one 
might  be  killed  ef  I  mixed  in.  Those  fellers  don't 
allow  no  interference  in  their  little  fun.  The  feller 
thet  tries  to  play  peacemaker  must  make  his  will  fust. 
I'd  as  soon  try  to  arrest  a  pack  o'  wolves  as  them  river- 
men  when  they're  drunk  an'  ugly.  They's  only  one 
man  in  creation  't  I  know  of  thet  kin  go  up  against  that 
crowd  an'  not  git  hurt ;  an'  he  ain't  here." 

"  Who  is  he  ?  He  must  be  a  wonder,  if  they're  as 
bad  as  you  say." 

"  Parson  Allen ;  he  is  a  wonder,"  replied  Tom.  "  He 
knows  every  mother's  son  of  'em,  an'  kin  handle  'em 
like  babies,  drunk  or  sober ;  but  they  ain't  nobody  else 
kin  go  near  'em,  an'  he  may  be  ten  miles  or  more  from 
here." 

"  But  suppose  they  should  kill  some  one  ? "  persisted 
Lane. 

"  Wai,  't wouldn't  be  much  loss,  ef  'twas  one  o'  them- 
selves, an'  they  don't  bother  the  citizens  o'  the  place, 
ef  the  citizens  don't  interfere  with  them.  The  two 
teams  fight  it  out  between  themselves,  an'  when  one 
side  licks,  thet  settles  it,  an'  the  victors  stan'  treat." 

"Pete's  turnin'  the  varmints  out  into  the  street," 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  219 

remarked  Barney,  pointing  in  the  direction  of  the 
saloon. 

As  he  spoke,  the  sound  of  shouts  and  curses  was 
heard,  and  with  a  rush  and  a  tumble  the  drunken, 
fighting  crowd  shot  out  of  Pete's  place  into  the  street 
just  ahead  of  the  trio.  Toques,  smocks,  boot-packs, 
heads,  heels,  and  fists  were  mixed  in  savage  mette.  A 
heavy  bottle  was  raised  high  in  air  and  brought  down 
with  murderous  force  upon  the  head  of  a  drunken 
brute.  He  went  down  like  a  polled  ox.  A  rough  boot- 
heel,  reinforced  with  nails  and  calks,  was  planted  ruth- 
lessly in  his  face.  The  fight  was  more  than  usually 
fierce,  and  the  opposing  gangs  seemed  to  be  evenly 
matched. 

"That  is  downright  brutish,"  exclaimed  Lane,  turn- 
ing away  in  disgust. 

"  Yep,  it  is  unpleasant,  but  ye  can't  do  nothin'  to 
stop  it,  away  out  here  in  the  lumber  region,"  said  Tom, 
glancing  at  the  stranger  in  some  surprise  that  a  man  of 
his  appearance  should  be  disturbed  by  a  rivermen's 
fight.  "  One  hundred  or  so  able-bodied  citizens  would 
git  the  wust  of  it  ef  they  interfered  with  them  fighters, 
so  we  let  'em  have  it  out  in  their  own  way.  It's  only 
when  they  git  drunk  thet  they  fight ! " 

"  Look  at  that,  Tom,  look ! "  exclaimed  Barney,  sud- 
denly. "  Parson  Allen's  at  them ! " 

As  he  spoke,  a  violent  eruption  seemed  to  be  taking 
place  in  the  dense  crowd  of  struggling  rivermen,  and 
as  the  writhing  mass  split  open  in  the  middle,  the 
sturdy  figure  of  the  backwoods  minister  emerged,  drag- 
ging two  of  the  combatants  by  the  collar.  Placing 
them  beyond  reach  of  each  other,  and  speaking  a  few 
quick,  low  words  that  seemed  to  galvanize  them  to  the 
spot,  he  sprang  back  into  the  mttte.  With  astonishing 


220  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

strength  and  disregard  of  the  flying  fists,  bottles,  and 
stones,  he  grabbed  two  more  of  the  brawlers  and  yanked 
them  away  from  the  mob.  He  spoke  to  no  one  at  first 
except  the  men  whom  he  had  captured,  and  his  words 
to  them  could  not  be  heard  above  the  shouts  and  curses 
of  the  fighters.  Twice  again  he  repeated  his  surpris- 
ing assault  upon  the  mob.  Then,  as  the  men  began  to 
realize  who  it  was  that  was  interfering  in  their  row  at 
the  risk  of  his  own  life,  a  remarkable  change  took  place. 
Some  of  the  rivermen  slunk  away  shamefacedly. 
Others  seized  those  of  their  own  party  and  compelled 
them  to  stop  fighting.  As  the  noise  grew  less,  the 
minister  was  heard  talking  pleasantly,  calling  them 
"my  boys,"  and  telling  them  they  must  stop  such 
"  rough  play  "  and  save  their  prowess  to  wrestle  with 
the  logs  on  Monday.  The  fight  was  over,  and  the 
bruised  and  disabled  were  helped  away  almost  before 
the  three  men  who  had  been  watching  from  a  distance 
could  realize  what  had  happened. 

"  Wonderful ! "  exclaimed  Jim  Lane,  at  last. 

"  Yes,"  remarked  Tom  Moore ;  "  thet's  the  man  I  jes' 
told  ye  about — the  only  man  in  the  State  of  Michigan, 
or  anywhere  else  for  thet  matter,  who  could  a'done 
what  ye  seen  jes'  now." 


CHAPTER   XVI 

JIM  GTDE  felt  that  he  was  indeed  a  new  man.  His 
statement  to  Sam  had  been  no  idle  boast.  He  was  not 
the  Jim  Gyde  of  a  few  years  ago.  All  who  knew  him 
had  seen  the  change,  and  now  he  realized  it  himself. 
A  winter  and  spring  of  hard  study,  a  summer  of  fann- 
ing rendered  more  than  usually  strenuous  by  the  effort 
to  gain  as  much  time  as  possible  for  work  at  his  books, 
and  then  a  full  season  of  logging  in  Pete  Murray's 
camp,  had  wrought  wonders  for  the  young  man.  His 
development  surprised  even  the  optimistic  schoolmas- 
ter, who,  having  settled  the  question  with  his  con- 
science, bent  all  his  energies  to  the  task  of  helping  Jim 
to  make  up  for  some  of  his  wasted  time.  Robert 
Allen,  during  his  visits  to  Pete  Murray's  camp,  noticed 
the  transformation  that  was  taking  place  in  the  young 
man  and  became  greatly  interested  in  him.  An  inti- 
macy sprang  up  between  them  which  gave  the  minis- 
ter opportunity  to  arouse  Jim's  concern  for  the  welfare 
of  his  soul  as  well  as  of  his  mind  and  body.  His  whole 
outlook  on  life  was  changed  and  broadened.  In  the 
steadfast,  unflinching  working  out  of  his  own  salvation 
he  tasted  happiness  for  the  first  time  in  his  life.  He 
was  worth  something  after  all.  He  would  count  as 
a  man  among  the  best  men  of  the  woods.  He  would 
keep  on  as  he  had  begun  and  be  ready  to  step  up  to 
something  higher  whenever  the  chance  presented  it- 
self. For  the  present  season  his  work  was  almost  fin- 
ished. After  the  rollway  had  been  broken  and  the 

321 


222  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

drive  sent  down  the  river,  he  would  be  free  to  go  where 
he  pleased.  And  where  would  he  please  to  go  ?  Jim's 
blood  tingled  as  he  thought  of  the  one  who  was  the  in- 
spiration and  support  of  all  his  earnest  efforts.  The 
schoolmaster?  Ah,  no!  His  word  had  roused  him; 
his  faithful,  patient  help  had  led  him  on  and  encouraged 
him ;  without  him  —  but,  there,  why  not  admit  truth- 
fully that  another  face  was  before  his  eyes,  another 
voice  in  his  ears,  another  purpose  spurred  him  on. 
The  schoolmaster,  bless  him,  was  simply  the  way  by 
which  Jim  might  reach  that  which  he  greatly  coveted. 
He  had  shown  now  what  he  could  do.  His  perform- 
ance thus  far  was  eloquent  of  future  possibilities. 
Was  it  not  time  to  claim  his  reward  ?  Jim  could  admit 
of  no  negative  answer.  His  mind  had  been  made  up 
for  weeks  that  as  soon  as  this  season's  work  was  done 
and  he  had  drawn  his  "stake,"  he  would  ask  Axcy 
Marthy  to  be  his  wife. 

Pete  Murray's  logs  were  all  in.  He  was  always  the 
first  to  break  camp.  His  example  was  an  inspiration 
to  his  men,  and  the  enormous  loads  which  came  to  the 
rollway  from  his  camp  were  the  pride  of  his  men  and 
the  admiration  of  all  others.  Jim  Gyde  had  just  come 
down  from  camp  on  Friday  when  he  met  Sam  Hawkins. 
He  was  staying  with  Jake  Vogel  while  waiting  for  the 
breaking  of  the  rollway.  Saturday  and  Sunday  were 
off  days  with  nothing  to  do.  Jim  found  almost  before 
the  sun  cleared  the  tops  of  the  trees  that  this  period  of 
waiting  and  suspense  was  going  to  be  unendurable. 
While  actively  engaged  in  the  strenuous  work  of  the 
logging-camp  he  could  possess  his  soul  in  patience,  but 
now  there  was  nothing  to  distract  his  thoughts  from 
the  one  who  had  so  long  monopolized  them.  Why 
should  he  wait,  after  all  ?  Was  not  to-day,  his  day  of 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  223 

leisure,  as  good  a  time  as  any  to  lay  claim  to  his  great 
happiness?  A  peculiar  weakness  stole  over  him  as 
he  thought  the  momentous  hour  had  come.  The  very 
act  of  deciding  to  do  what  most  of  all  he  desired  to  do, 
aroused,  suddenly,  a  spirit  of  temporizing  and  procras- 
tination which  he  resented  even  while  he  cherished  it. 
Nevertheless,  while  the  contest  of  his  emotions  and  in- 
clinations raged  within  him,  he  proceeded  to  make 
himself  as  presentable  as  possible,  yielding  to  the  dic- 
tates of  some  inner  arbiter  who  advised  him  to  take  a 
walk  down  the  river  road  toward  Midland.  It  would 
do  no  harm,  anyway,  to  walk  past  her  house.  If  he 
should  be  so  happy  as  to  see  her  he  would  be  well  re- 
paid. He  need  not  say  anything  unless  he  wanted  to. 

As  he  approached  Hal  Marthy's  farm,  he  caught 
sight  of  a  tall,  graceful  figure  which  came  down  the 
driveway  from  the  house  and  started  up  the  road  ahead 
of  him  in  the  direction  of  Midland.  His  pulses  leaped 
into  tumultuous  action  as  he  recognized  Axcy.  She 
was  hurrying,  and  the  fact  roused  him  like  a  challenge. 
He  could  not  let  her  escape.  His  long,  rapid  strides 
brought  him  up  with  her  in  a  few  moments.  She 
greeted  him  with  unfeigned  cordiality  and  pleasure. 

"Why,  Jim!  You  are  a  stranger.  I  haven't  seen 
you  for  more  than  six  months.  Are  you  back  for 
good  ? " 

"  Murray  broke  camp  yesterday,  an'  I  came  down  to 
the  Keg  to  wait  till  it's  time  to  break  the  rollway.  It's 
a  big  one.  They  count  on  doin'  the  job  Monday,"  an- 
swered Jim,  relieved,  in  spite  of  himself,  that  it  was 
possible  to  talk  at  once  on  commonplace  topics. 

"  I'm  coming  up  to  see  it,"  declared  Axcy,  with  en- 
thusiam.  "  I  never  do  get  tired  of  seeing  that  great 
pile  of  logs  go  rolling  and  tumbling  down  into  the  river, 


224  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

and  you  poor  men  scrambling  out  of  the  way.  It's 
awfully  dangerous — but  it's  exciting.  Are  you  going 
to  be  down  underneath  again  ? " 

"  I  s'pose  so,"  said  Jim.  "  They'll  be  a  dozen  or  more 
of  us  down  there.  Say,  Axcy,  do  you  know  how 
much  I'll  git  for  this  season's  work  ? " 

"  No — let  me  see — oh,  maybe  a  hundred  dollars,"  re- 
plied Axcy  with  some  hesitation,  not  knowing  whether 
Jim's  industry  at  school  had  extended  to  his  camp  life. 
In  other  seasons  he  had  earned  scarcely  half  a  full 
season's  pay,  because  of  his  irregularity. 

"  Over  two  hundred  dollars !  "  he  announced  proudly. 
"  They's  only  two  men  in  the  camp  thet'll  draw  more'n 
that." 

"My!  that's  splendid,"  exclaimed  Axcy.  "You 
must  have  worked  hard." 

"  I  did,"  he  admitted.  "  I'm  always  goin'  to  work 
hard  after  this.  Some  day  I'll  be  a  rich  man." 

The  sturdy  confidence  in  his  tone  did  not  wholly 
conceal  a  slight  questioning,  almost  pleading,  note  which 
sounded  strangely  in  Axcy's  ears.  She  glanced  quickly 
at  him,  but  glanced  still  more  quickly  away  when  she 
found  his  eyes  fixed  on  her  face. 

"  That  will  be  fine,  won't  it  ? "  she  replied,  with  an 
effort  to  appear  unconcerned. 

The  breeze  played  with  a  stray  lock  of  hair,  blowing 
it  now  and  then  across  her  cheek.  Jim  watched  it, 
fascinated,  silent,  greedy.  Suddenly  the  fire  in  his 
heart  flared  up. 

"Axcy,"  he  said,  hoarsely,  "I  love  you!" 

The  girl  started  and  caught  her  breath.  "  Oh !  Jim, 
how  you  frightened  me !  If  you  do  that  again,  I  shan't 
let  you  walk  with  me,"  she  exclaimed,  with  an  uneasy 
laugh. 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  225 

Jim  ignored  her  interruption,  and  continued  with  a 
half-suppressed  fierceness  of  desire : 

"I  love  you!  I  want  you.  I  want  you  for  my 
wife ! " 

"Jim!  Jim!  Please  don't,"  cried  Axcy,  facing  him, 
genuinely  frightened  this  time,  and  quick  distress  and 
pity  gleaming  in  her  eyes. 

"Don't?"  repeated  Jim.  "Does  that  mean  you 
won't  have  me?  Quick!  Tell  me,  does  it  mean 
that  ? " 

Axcy  looked  away  and  toyed  nervously  with  a  fold 
of  her  dress.  It  was  hard  to  reply  to  such  a  big,  pas- 
sionate questioner,  when  the  answer  could  only  give 
him  pain.  But  Jim  would  not  wait. 

"  Answer  me,  for  God's  sake,  Axcy !  Don't  you  see 
I'm  waitin'  ?  Will  you  have  me  ? " 

"Jim!  I  can't,  I  can't!"  moaned  Axcy,  cowering 
from  him  as  if  she  feared  a  blow,  and  little  realizing 
that  with  her  simple  words,  "  I  can't,"  she  was  deliver- 
ing a  blow  more  cruel  than  any  the  young  giant  before 
her  could  give  with  all  the  strength  of  his  brawny  arm. 
Jim  quivered  and  paled  for  an  instant,  but  a  dull  red 
flush  quickly  flooded  his  face  as  he  took  up  her  words 
again. 

"'Can't!'  An'  why  not?  Ain't  I  good  enough? 
Haven't  I  stuck  to  schooling  an'  learned  to  read,  an' 
write,  an'  figger  ?  Haven't  I  give  up  drinkin',  an'  devil- 
try, an'  fightin',  'cept  when  I  can't  help  it  ?  Haven't  I 
been  tryin'  for  more'n  a  year  to  be  a  clean  man,  an' 
worth  somethin'?  Why?  All  'cause  I  wanted  you, 
an'  wanted  to  make  myself  good  enough  for  you— 
though  partly,  I'll  allow,  'twas  to  please  Schoolmaster 
Waters.  If  I  ain't  good  enough  yet,  I'll  keep  on,  if 
you'll " 


226  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

"  Don't  Jim !  It  isn't  that.  You  are  good  enough, 
but— I— I " 

She  could  not  go  on,  neither  could  she  conceal  the 
blush  that  had  colored  her  cheeks  when  Jim  mentioned 
the  schoolmaster's  name.  The  young  man  had  noticed 
it,  but  did  not  at  once  connect  it  with  its  cause.  His 
whole  attention,  for  the  moment,  was  on  the  question 
and  her  reply.  Now  he  stood  regarding  her  in  per- 
plexity and  bitter  disappointment. 

"Then  why  can't  you,  if  it  isn't  that?  Do  you  un- 
derstand ?  I  love  you.  I  must  have  you.  I've  been 
lookin'  f orrard,  an'  plannin',  eager,  but  keepin'  quiet,  an' 
eatin'  my  heart  out,  too  long  to  take  any  such  answer 
as  that.  Why  can't  you  ?  You  don't  mean  it,  Axcy ; 
you're  teasin'  me." 

"  No,  Jim,  I  wouldn't  do  that,"  said  Axcy,  gently,  re- 
covering her  self-control.  "  I  like  you,  Jim.  You've 
made  me  respect  you,  too,  this  last  year.  We've  been 
good  friends.  Can't  we  keep  on  being  friends  ? " 

"  I  want  love !  I  want  a  wife ! "  cried  Jim,  passion- 
ately. "  Do  you  s'pose  I  could  ever  look  at  you  or  talk 
to  you  without  thinkin'  of  that  ?  Why  can't  you  give 
me  what  I  want  ? " 

"Because,  Jim — because — it  isn't  mine  to  give," 
said  Axcy  in  a  very  low  tone,  while  Jim  bent  toward 
her  in  his  eagerness.  As  the  meaning  of  her  words 
forced  itself  into  his  brain,  he  straightened  up  with  a 
gasp. 

"  Oh — h ! "  he  said,  and  the  word  was  a  groan.  For 
a  moment  he  stood  looking  at  the  girl  he  had  hoped  to 
make  his  partner  and  his  inspiration  in  the  struggle  for 
a  better,  broader,  nobler  life  upon  which  he  had  en- 
tered. The  mainspring  of  his  ambition  and  purpose 
seemed  broken  in  him.  A  heaviness  settled  upon  him, 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  227 

and  the  light  of  day  grew  dim.  Then  his  square  jaws 
closed  tighter,  and  without  a  word  he  turned  on  his 
heel  and  strode  away.  He  chose  no  direction.  He 
knew  not  where  to  go— only  to  be  alone,  where  none 
could  see  his  hurt.  Pity  he  dreaded.  Even  sympathy 
he  shunned.  No  one  should  know,  because  no  one 
could  help  him.  No  one  ?  A  thought  came  unbidden 
of  one  who  understood  him,  and  who  might  know  just 
how  to  deal  with  this  trouble.  Perhaps  if  he  went  to 
the  schoolmaster — another  thought  flashed  upon  his 
mind  and  drove  all  else  away.  He  stopped  suddenly. 
The  next  instant  he  was  hastening  back  to  the  girl  who 
had  sunk  down  on  the  bank  by  the  roadside,  and,  with 
her  face  in  the  hollow  of  her  arm,  was  finding  a  woman's 
relief  from  the  strain  and  pain  of  the  episode  just 
passed.  Jim  stood  before  her. 

"  Axcy,  look  up ! "  he  said,  harshly. 

She  lifted  two  startled,  tear-dimmed  eyes  and  looked 
at  the  young  man. 

"  Tell  me,  Axcy,  is  it  him — the  schoolmaster  ? "  he 
panted. 

The  tell-tale  blush  was  hidden  quickly  as  the  girl's 
face  went  down  again  into  the  hollow  of  her  arm.  She 
said  not  a  word,  but  a  movement  of  her  head  gave  an 
affirmative  reply  only  too  plainly  understood  by  the  un- 
happy man. 

"  Him !  "  he  whispered  through  clenched  jaws,  as  he 
turned  away  again  from  the  sobbing  girl.  "  Him !  who 
pretended  to  be  my  best  friend!  Him!  who's  been 
tellin'  me  how  much  there  was  for  me  in  life  if  I'd 
make  myself  worthy  of  it.  And  now  he's  robbed  me 
of  the  only  thing- 1  want— oh — curse  him ! "  A  fierce 
oath  burst  from  his  lips,  and  he  brought  his  great 
clenched  fist  to  his  shoulder  and  thrust  it  down  again 


228  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

in  impotent  rage.  So  this  was  his  reward  for  all  his 
hard  work;  this  was  the  "brother's  help"  which  had 
been  given  him.  He  would  not  have  dreamed  that 
Waters  could  be  so  false.  All  these  months,  while  he 
had  worked  and  studied  to  make  himself  worthy  of  the 
girl  of  his  choice,  the  schoolmaster  had  been  making 
love  to  her  behind  his  back,  thought  Jim,  even  after  he 
had  told  him  of  his  own  great  love. 

"  What  a  fool  I  was ! "  he  muttered,  as  he  pushed  on 
blindly  along  the  road.  "  Why  didn't  I  see  it  ?  Why 
did  I  wait  so  long  ? " 

He  remembered  the  events  of  that  last  winter  in 
school  as  if  it  had  been  yesterday.  The  reason  for  the 
schoolmaster's  strange  behavior  when  Jim  first  told 
him  of  his  hope  with  regard  to  Axcy  was  plain  now. 
Why  hadn't  he  suspected  it  then  ?  He  tried  to  think 
of  any  other  significant  words  or  acts,  but  could  recall 
nothing  else  that  might  have  roused  his  suspicion. 
That  was  the  worst  of  it.  He  took  it  for  granted  that 
Waters,  put  on  his  guard  from  the  very  beginning,  had 
governed  himself  accordingly  and  had  taken  unfair  ad- 
vantage of  his  absence.  It  seemed  like  tearing  out  his 
very  heart-strings  to  believe  the  man  guilty  of  such 
baseness ;  yet  Axcy  had  confessed  the  truth.  Jim  had 
lost  his  love  and  his  friend  at  the  same  moment.  What 
was  there  left  for  him  now  ?  He  tumbled  on  in  the 
direction  of  Midland,  though  he  was  unconscious  of 
time  or  place.  The  sound  of  hurried  steps  behind  him 
suddenly  brought  him  to  a  halt,  and  Axcy  stood  again 
before  him,  breathless,  panting,  her  bonnet  off,  and  her 
hair  flying  loose  about  her  flushed  face. 

"Oh,  Jim — !"  she  cried  brokenly,  "Jim,  please — 
please  don't  tell  him ! " 

The  young  man  gazed  at  her  dumfounded. 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  229 

"  What— who  ? "  he  asked,  at  length. 

"  You  know ;  what  I  told  you.  Oh,  why  did  I  say  it  ? 
You  forced  me  to.  Please — promise  me,  Jim,  that 
you  won't  tell  him." 

"I  don't  understand,"  stammered  Jim.  "Do  you 
mean  that  I  ain't  to  tell  the  schoolmaster  thet  you — 
you — love  him,  an'  so  can't  hev  me  ?  Is  thet  what  you 
mean  ? " 

Axcy  nodded  her  head  and  tried  to  hide  her  face 
from  Jim's  searching  gaze. 

"  Why !  don't  he  know  it  already  ? "  exclaimed  the 
unhappy  fellow. 

"  I  never  told  him — nor  anybody,  before,"  murmured 
the  girl. 

"  Didn't  he  never  ask  you  ? "  demanded  Jim,  almost 
fiercely. 

Axcy  shook  her  head. 

"  An'  didn't  he  never  tell  you  he  loved  you  ? "  cried 
Jim,  still  more  imperatively. 

Another  shake  of  the  beautiful  bowed  head,  and  then 
the  poor  girl  began  to  sob  hysterically. 

"  He  hasn't  yet,"  she  faltered,  "  but — oh,  please,  Jim, 
don't  ask  me  any  more,  and  please  don't  tell  him." 

For  a  moment  Jim  made  no  reply.  He  was  weigh- 
ing the  new  admissions  and  readjusting  his  verdict  on 
the  schoolmaster's  conduct. 

"  I'll  not  tell  him,"  he  said,  at  length.  "  He'll  find 
out  soon  enough  for  himself  if  he  don't  know  already, 
but,"  he  went  on  passionately,  "  he  can't  care  for  you  as 
much  as  I  do,  Axcy.  It  seems  like  I  couldn't  live  with- 
out you,  now,  after  lovin'  you,  an'  waitin'  for  you  so 
long.  You  say  he  never  asked  you — never  spoke  to 
you  ?  What  right  has  he,  then,  to  keep  you  away  from 
me?  Don't  you  think  you  could  care  for  me  if  you 


230  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

tried — a  little  ?  I'll  wait  as  long  as  you  say.  Won't 
you  try,  Axcy  ? — I  love  you  so ! " 

He  waited,  but  no  reply  came  from  the  sobbing  girl 
whose  face  was  persistently  turned  from  him.  He  took 
•a.  step  nearer  and  laid  his  hand  on  her  arm. 

"Axcy!" 

There  was  a  world  of  longing  and  entreaty  in  his 
voice  as  he  spoke  her  name.  Her  sobbing  became 
audible.  She  was  so  sorry  for  Jim,  but  she  wished  he 
wouldn't  torture  himself  and  her  any  longer.  His 
cause  was  hopeless. 

"  I  can't,"  she  said  again.  She  felt  his  hand  drop 
from  her  arm,  and  heard  his  footsteps  growing  fainter 
and  fainter.  When  she  looked  up  again  she  was  alone 
in  the  road  half  a  mile  from  her  home. 


CHAPTER   XVII 

THE  sun  had  not  begun  to  redden  the  east  when 
Barney  was  up  and  busy  with  his  Monday  morning 
chores.  Farmer  Hawkins  expected  nothing  of  him 
this  morning,  but  Barney  was  unwilling  to  leave  any 
of  his  ordinary  tasks  to  Uncle  Si,  so  he  clipped  an  hour 
from  his  usual  sleeping  time,  and  by  sunrise  was  ready 
to  start  for  the  river  where  the  great  rollway  was  to  be 
broken  up  and  its  contents  started  down  the  swollen 
current. 

As  he  left  the  house,  he  met  Norine  Maloney  run- 
ning up  the  road. 

"  Good  mornin',  an'  what  brings  ye  here,  like  a  lark, 
with  the  sunrise,  darlint?"  exclaimed  Barney,  as  he 
opened  wide  his  brawny  arms,  caught  the  breathless 
girl,  and  administered  a  hearty  salutation.  She 
squirmed  out  of  her  prison,  shook  the  tumbled  hair 
back  from  her  blushing  face,  and  cried : 

"  Oh,  Barney ! " 

"  I  am  that  same,"  replied  the  young  farmer. 

"Barney,  please  don't  go  down  under  the  rollway 
this  morning.  I  was  afraid  I  should  not  catch  you  be- 
fore you  went,  so  I  ran  all  the  way  here."  Norine 
stopped  short  for  want  of  breath. 

"Not  help  break  the  rollway,  is  it,  darlint?  An' 
why  shouldn't  I  do  it  ?  They'll  be  nadin'  all  the  men 
they  kin  git  fer  the  job,  an'  I  promised  to  help.  I'm 
jes'  goin'  down  now,  Norine.  What  did  ye  want  me 
todo?J> 

•3* 


232  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

"  Oh,  Barney,  I  had  such  a  horrid  dream  last  night. 
I  saw  you  down  in  the  river,  and  the  logs  had  just 
started  to  roll.  You  looked  so  happy  and  seemed  to 
be  looking  up  at  me.  All  of  a  sudden  somebody  gave 
you  a  push,  and  you  fell  into  the  water,  and  the  logs 
came  rolling  down,  down,  down  on  you  by  the  hun- 
dreds and  thousands!  I  screamed  and  tried  to  look 
away,  but  I  couldn't.  I  had  to  keep  looking,  and  the 
logs  kept  rolling,  and  rolling,  as  though  they  would 
never  stop.  If  I  shut  my  eyes  I  can  see  them  now. 
Really,  Barney,  you  mustn't  go  down,  I  can't  let  you." 

"  Faith,  darlint,  'twas  only  a  drame,  an'  drames  go 
by  opposites,  ye  know.  I  must  help,  'cause  I  promised 
to,  an'  I  couldn't  be  backin'  out  now.  Ye  wouldn't 
have  me  tell  any  o'  the  b'ys  thet  it  war  on  account  of  a 
drame  ? " 

"  But  I  am  sure  something  will  happen,  Barney.  I 
have  a  presentiment.  Can't  you  stay  away — for  my 
sake?" 

Barney  was  sorely  puzzled,  and  he  stood  still  in  the 
road  and  scratched  his  head  several  minutes  before  an- 
swering. At  length  he  looked  around  and  exclaimed 
with  a  kind  of  desperation : 

"  Where's  thet  varmint  Sam  Hawkins  an'  his  three 
good-fer-nothin'  chums  ?  Bring  'em  on,  the  hull  four 
of  'em,  an'  let  me  lick  'em  all  togither  fer  insultin'  Miss 
Norine  Maloney.  Let  me  do  somethin' — anythin'  fer 
this  little  swateheart !  Begorra,  what  wouldn't  I  do  fer 
ye,  darlint ;  but  ye  see  the  difficulty  is,  ye  want  me  to 
do  notkin\  Not  bein'  used  to  thet  kind  o'  work,  I 
don't  know  how  to  do  it.  Sure,  Norine,  ye  wouldn't 
hev  me  begin  sarvin'  ye  by  shirkin',  an'  loafin',  an* 
breakin'  me  word  ?  I  tell  ye  what,  darlint ;  come  to 
the  river  with  me  an'  kape  yer  swate  eyes  on  me  while 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  233 

I'm  at  work,  an'  ye'll  be  my  protictin'  angel,  so  ye 
will." 

Without  waiting  for  any  reply  to  his  harangue,  or  for 
any  further  protest,  Barney  took  Norine  by  the  hand, 
and  together  they  hastened  on  toward  Red-Keg  and 
the  rollway. 

Many  were  there  before  them,  and  others  came  later. 
Some  were  there  to  work  and  risk  their  lives.  Others 
came  only  to  look  on,  and  cheer  if  need  be.  Pete's 
tavern  was  deserted,  even  by  the  roughest  of  the  river 
element,  for  this  was  an  occasion  when  cool  heads  and 
steady  nerves  were  all-important. 

The  rollway  had  reached  enormous  proportions.  The 
contour  of  the  river  at  this  point  was  particularly  fa- 
vorable for  constructing  and  handling  a  large  rollway, 
and  for  this  reason  had  been  chosen  by  the  railroad 
company  and  other  large  operators,  who  brought  their 
logs  here  from  distant  points,  as  the  nearest  available 
outlet  to  the  Eastern  markets.  Many  small  operators 
had  banked  their  logs  at  other  points  farther  up  the 
river  to  save  the  time  and  labor  of  toting  them  to  Red- 
Keg.  Here,  however,  where  the  main  rollway  was 
always  constructed,  the  Tittabawassee  formed  a  cres- 
cent about  half  a  mile  long,  the  village  lying  within  the 
crescent.  The  shore  on  this  side  was  high  and  pre- 
cipitous. On  the  opposite  side,  away  from  the  village, 
the  land  was  so  low  that  in  the  spring  the  river  over- 
flowed the  bank  and  covered  a  wide  strip  of  mud  flats. 
Piles  were  driven  along  this  shore  and  immense  boom 
logs  fastened  to  them  with  chains  to  define  the  channel 
of  the  river  and  keep  the  logs  from  floating  over  upon 
the  flats.  About  half  a  mile  below  Red-Keg  the  low- 
lands came  to  an  end,  and  the  river,  with  a  sharp  bend 
away  from  the  crescent,  flowed  between  high  banks  on 


234  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

either  side.  At  this  point  the  drivers  had  work  to  keep 
the  logs  from  jamming.  It  was  the  only  really  difficult 
place  on  the  river,  and  the  watchfulness  and  agility  of 
the  rivermen  could  be  counted  on  to  prevent  trouble 
even  at  this  point  in  all  ordinary  conditions.  To  lessen 
the  probability  of  choking  this  bend  with  too  great  a 
rush  of  logs  at  one  time,  the  expedient  had  recently 
been  adopted  of  breaking  the  rollway  in  two  or  three 
sections,  beginning  at  the  lower  end,  the  contour  of  the 
bank  rendering  this  feasible. 

The  great  rollway  now  reached  from  end  to  end  of 
the  crescent,  and  extended  half-way  across  the  river  to 
the  opposite  booms.  The  top  was  sixty  feet  above  the 
swollen  stream.  It  had  been  building  all  through 
the  winter,  and  layers  of  snow  and  ice  deposited  by  the 
season's  storms  helped  to  cement  the  massive  logs  to- 
gether. Along  the  base,  the  turbulent  water,  aug- 
mented by  heavy  rains  and  melting  snow,  swept  on 
with  growing  force,  whirling  against  the  edge  of  the 
rollway,  and  gurgling  and  hissing  through  the  crevices 
with  an  impatient,  taunting  call  to  the  sleeping  giant  to 
awake  and  join  in  a  wild  revel. 

Pete  Murray,  Andrew  Green,  John  Maloney,  and  the 
others  who  were  responsible  for  the  affair  had  chosen 
the  time  for  breaking  the  rollway  with  that  unerring 
precision  which  comes  only  from  long  experience  and 
constant  alertness.  The  freshet  was  approaching  its 
height.  In  three  more  days  the  waters  would  begin  to 
subside ;  but  then  the  great  drive  of  logs  would  be  well 
on  its  way  to  the  booms  at  Saginaw  and  below. 

Crowds  from  the  surrounding  district  and  from  Mid- 
land filled  Red-Keg.  Even  Joseph  Waters,  whose 
school  was  represented  in  the  force  of  workers  by  more 
than  a  few  sturdy  fellows,  gave  the  remainder  of  his 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  235 

pupils  a  holiday,  that  he,  and  some  of  them,  might  see 
the  roll  way  broken.  Robert  Allen,  the  minister,  who, 
although  a  skilled  logger,  made  no  claim  to  proficiency 
as  a  riverman,  joined  Waters  as  a  spectator. 

Gossip  was  rife  concerning  the  plight  of  old  Heze- 
kiah  Bloag,  whose  logs  were  in  a  fair  way  to  be  stranded 
up  on  the  Tobacco  River,  above  the  village  of  Sixteen. 
He  had  always  been  noted  for  his  close-fisted  habits 
and  his  meanness  to  the  men  in  his  camp.  Only  the 
worst  class  of  loggers  would  work  for  him.  This  sea- 
son he  had  exceeded  the  limits  of  their  endurance,  and 
his  entire  camp  had  mutinied  and  refused  to  complete 
the  work  until  he  paid  them  a  certain  amount.  He 
stood  out  obstinately  against  their  demands,  while  the 
men  employed  their  idleness  by  drinking  and  fighting. 
When  Bloag  saw  the  freshet  coming  and  tried  to  com- 
promise with  his  men,  preparatory  to  eventually  yield- 
ing, they  were  too  drunk  and  ugly  to  listen  to  him,  and 
thus  the  matter  stood  when  the  time  came  to  break  the 
rollway.  Very  little  of  Bloag's  cutting  had  come  to 
hand,  and  very  little  sympathy  was  expressed  by  his 
neighbors,  nearly  all  of  whom  had  suffered  at  one  time 
or  another  from  the  old  man's  meanness. 

As  one  result  of  Bloag's  hang-up,  "  Red  "  Lampheer, 
his  foreman  this  year,  was  absent  from  the  breaking  of 
the  rollway.  His  dare-devil  recklessness  usually  made 
him  a  conspicuous  figure  on  the  river.  With  such  men 
as  Barney  O'Boyle,  Jim  Gyde,  "  Babe  "  Strander,  Ash- 
bel  Fair,  Tom  Moore,  Ned  Blakely,  and  scores  of 
others,  ready  to  the  call,  however,  the  daring  but  quar- 
relsome Lampheer  and  his  gang  were  not  sorely  missed. 

Andrew  Green  and  Pete  Murray  rounded  up  the 
men  and,  dividing  them  .into  the  various  gangs,  de- 
spatched them  to  their  places.  A  dozen  expert  rollway 


236  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

breakers  were  assigned  to  the  lower  section  of  the  huge 
rollway  which  was  to  be  released  first.  Barney  gave 
Norine's  hand  an  encouraging  squeeze,  and,  grasping 
his  peavy,  mounted  the  towering  pile  of  logs  with  the 
others  of  the  gang.  Jim  Gyde  was  close  to  him. 
Quickly  they  disappeared  over  the  brink  of  the  rollway 
and  began  the  perilous  descent  to  the  water's  edge. 
The  assembled  crowd  could  only  hold  its  breath  and 
watch  for  the  outcome. 

Barney  went  over  near  the  middle  of  the  section,  the 
most  forbidding  and  dangerous  point  of  all.  As  his 
hat  disappeared  from  sight,  a  little  woman  pressed  her 
way  through  the  crowd,  and,  standing  as  near  to  the 
edge  as  was  safe,  fixed  her  eyes  anxiously  on  the  spot 
where  her  lover  was  last  seen. 

Minutes  seemed  like  hours.  The  spectators  were 
growing  nervous.  The  suspense  to  Norine  was  almost 
unbearable.  She  clasped  her  hands  tightly  and  breathed 
a  prayer.  Then  she  waited  as  patiently  as  she  could. 
Her  eyes  never  wandered  for  an  instant  from  the  spot 
where  Barney  had  disappeared.  She  seemed  to  see 
again  the  frightful  dream,  and  the  logs  rolling  down, 
down,  down,  upon  the  man  she  loved.  None  of  the 
spectators  could  see  the  workmen,  and  this  made  the 
strain  of  suspense  more  intense. 

Soon  a  shout  was  heard  from  below,  and  the  watch- 
ers knew  that  the  crisis  was  at  hand.  As  some  huge 
monster,  disturbed  in  sleep,  stirs,  yawns,  and  then  is 
still  again,  a  rumbling  was  heard  through  the  great 
pile,  low  and  ominous.  The  mass  of  logs  began  to 
move,  slowly  and  with  lazy  deliberation  apparently,  and 
then  it  stopped.  The  right  log  or  logs  had  not  been 
released.  There  was  another  wait.  Suddenly  the 
great  mass  moved  again.  This  time  there  was  no 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  257 

uncertainty,  no  hesitation.  Thousands  of  the  foremost 
logs  went  tumbling  and  rolling  down,  a  mighty,  rushing 
avalanche,  into  the  swollen  river.  The  rollway  was 
broken. 

All  eyes  were  strained  to  catch  sight  of  the  men  who 
were  risking  their  lives  in  the  raging  current  below, 
seemingly  at  the  mercy  of  the  wild  deluge  they  had  let 
loose.  As  the  logs  went  tumbling  down,  and  the  huge 
pile  began  to  melt  away  into  the  rushing  stream,  the 
men  were  seen  to  rise  and  leap  with  marvellous  agility 
and  rapidity  from  log  to  log  until  they  reached  the  top. 
A  shout  of  triumph  rang  from  the  throats  of  the  as- 
sembled throng  on  the  shore,  because  of  the  success 
and  bravery  of  these  men ;  but  Norine  shivered,  and 
sought  out  Axcy  and  Lettie,  that  their  companionship 
might  take  her  mind  away  from  her  troublesome  dream. 
When  she  looked  again  down  into  the  river,  she  saw 
Barney  hard  at  work  with  his  peavy  urging  on  the  roll- 
ing logs  into  the  foaming  current.  Near  him,  engaged 
in  the  same  work,  was  Jim  Gyde. 

It  was  now  time  for  the  "drivers"  to  take  their 
places.  These  men  mount  the  logs  as  they  are  floating 
down  the  stream  and  keep  them  moving.  Experts  are 
needed  for  this  work,  also,  and  it  is  only  a  shade  less 
dangerous  than  breaking  the  rollway.  With  high  boots, 
having  calks  in  the  soles  to  prevent  slipping,  and  with 
peavy  in  hand,  these  men  skip  from  log  to  log,  and 
wherever  a  tendency  to  "jam"  is  observed  they  seek 
out  the  offending  log,  straighten  it  around,  and  soon 
the  mass  is  again  moving.  Drivers  are  stationed,  also, 
at  points  along  the  river,  wherever  the  formation  of  the 
banks  makes  jamming  liable,  and  there  they  watch  the 
passing  stream  of  logs  like  hawks,  ready  to  dart  out  and 
pounce  upon  any  one  which  threatens  trouble. 


238  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

The  first  break  loosened  and  sent  down  into  the 
stream  many  thousands  of  logs  and  kept  a  full  force  of 
drivers  busy.  There  were,  however,  two  more  sections 
of  the  rollway  with  nearly  twice  as  many  more  logs  to 
be  released  and  cared  for.  The  greatest  disadvantage 
of  breaking  the  rollway  in  sections  was  that  a  larger 
number  of  men  were  required. 

"Now's  the  time  we  could  be  usin*  old  Bloag's 
gang,"  remarked  Pete  Murray  to  Lettie's  father,  as 
he  began  assigning  the  remaining  men  to  their  places 
and  realized  that  the  supply  would  be  hardly  suf- 
ficient. 

"Call  for  more  volunteers.  There  must  be  some 
men  able  to  lend  a  hand  in  this  crowd,"  said  Green. 

A  dozen  additional  men  were  quickly  hunted  out. 
Among  them,  Jim  Lane  offered  himself.  Neither 
Green  nor  Murray  had  ever  seen  him  before,  and  they 
hesitated. 

"  Are  ye  shantyman,  or  riverman,  or  what  ? "  asked 
Murray;  "  Ever  break  a  rollway  before  ? " 

"No — not  exactly,"  admitted  Lane;  "but  I'm  willing 
to  begin.  Always  have  to  begin  sometime,  you  know. 
I'm  something  of  an  acrobat,  and  I've  ridden  floating 
logs  before.  Guess  I  can  help  juggle  these  without 
breaking  my  neck." 

"  Wall,  ye've  got  nerve,  an'  mebbe  ye  can.  Here's 
a  peavy ;  git  out  there  where  ye  see  them  two,  yonder," 
pointing  to  where  Barney  and  Jim  Gyde  were  at  work ; 
"  but,  begorra,  yer  blood  is  on  yer  own  head  ef  ye  git 
kilt." 

Lane  hastened  out  upon  the  logs  with  an  alacrity 
which  surprised  those  who  thought  he  was  going  to 
almost  certain  death,  and  more  than  one  protest  was 
heard  among  the  onlookers;  but  Murray  shook  his 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  239 

head  and  grinned.  "  Take  a  fool  fer  luck,"  he  said ; 
"  guess  he'll  pull  through." 

"  His  boots  ain't  calked ! "  exclaimed  one  man.  "  He 
can't  stand  on  them  logs.  Call  him  back  an'  make  him 
fix  his  boots,  anyhow ;  "  but  it  was  too  late,  for  Lane 
was  already  out  of  hearing. 

Barney  and  Jim  Gyde  greeted  the  newcomer  with 
some  surprise  and  suspicion.  Barney  remembered 
what  Tom  Moore  had  told  him  of  the  stranger's  con- 
versation with  Sam  Hawkins,  and  of  Sam's  expressed 
hope  that  Barney  would  be  killed  in  the  rollway.  If 
this  was  a  plot  he  would  take  care  not  to  be  caught 
napping,  and  he  felt  conscious  that  among  the  moving 
logs  on  the  river  the  advantage  was  his;  therefore 
when  the  stranger  asked  him  what  he  could  do  to  help, 
Barney  replied,  shortly : 

"  Faith,  if  ye'll  moind  yerself,  an'  kape  right-side-up, 
I'll  wrastle  the  logs." 

Lane  said  nothing,  but  watched  the  young  Irishman 
closely,  and  when  the  opportunity  came,  assisted  with 
a  skill  and  display  of  muscle  which  commanded  Bar- 
ney's admiration. 

"  Ye' re  right  handy  fer  a  beginner,"  he  remarked, 
finally ;  "  but  moind  ye  kape  back  by  the  boom  logs 
when  we  let  this  next  rollway  down." 

It  required  but  a  few  minutes  to  start  the  pile  of 
logs  moving  a  second  time.  As  before,  they  moved 
almost  imperceptibly  at  first,  but  soon  it  seemed  as  if 
every  log  were  a  living  thing,  or  that  some  great  up- 
heaval was  taking  place  and  toying  with  the  heap  as  a 
child  would  play  with  a  handful  of  jackstraws. 

It  was  time  for  the  men  to  appear  at  the  top,  and  all 
but  Barney  and  Lane  had  scrambled  into  safety.  Sud- 
denly a  cry  of  alarm  rang  out  from  below,  and  a  respon- 


240  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

sive  cry  of  horror  came  from  the  crowd  of  spectators 
on  the  shore.  As  the  face  of  the  rollway  melted 
away  and  a  view  of  the  river  was  disclosed,  Jim  Lane 
and  Barney  O'Boyle  were  seen  struggling  in  the  water 
near  the  boom  logs  on  the  other  side,  while  the  ava- 
lanche from  the  rollway  was  rushing  and  heaving  around 
them.  Barney  was  evidently  trying  to  help  the  stran- 
ger, who  seemed  hurt  or  exhausted.  It  looked  as  if  in 
another  moment  or  two  both  would  surely  be  over- 
whelmed and  crushed  to  death.  The  spectators  on 
shore  were  paralyzed  with  horror — all  but  one. 

A  little  woman  with  pale  face  and  flying  hair  dashed 
from  the  crowd,  and  before  any  one  could  detain  her, 
she  was  out  on  the  writhing  and  rolling  logs.  She 
skipped  from  log  to  log  like  a  fairy.  Fear  and  love 
gave  her  wings.  Reaching  the  edge  of  the  rollway, 
which  was  rapidly  melting  away  beneath  her,  she  looked 
out  upon  the  sea  of  logs,  and  for  an  instant  her  heart 
stood  still.  By  a  miracle  she  kept  her  feet  that  brief 
instant  as  she  hesitated.  What  could  she  do  ?  Could 
she  do  anything  ?  A  sense  of  her  helplessness  and  of 
the  almost  certain  death  which  now  threatened  her,  as 
well  as  her  lover,  flashed  through  her  mind,  when,  sud- 
denly, a  pair  of  strong  arms  seized  her  and  bore  her 
back  toward  the  shore. 

The  schoolmaster,  thrusting  Robert  Allen  aside,  had 
followed  her  with  scarcely  the  loss  of  a  second  of  time. 
He  had  not  been  quite  so  fleet  of  foot  on  the  rolling 
logs ;  but  he  had  been  as  heedless  of  danger,  and  her 
instant  of  hesitation  had  enabled  him  to  catch  her. 

"Come  back!  You'll  be  killed!  Don't  you  see 
Jim's  gone  to  help  Barney  ? "  cried  Waters,  as  he  strug- 
gled back  with  the  now  almost  helpless  girl  over  the 
short  but  tortuous  space  between  them  and  the  shore. 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  241 

A  score  of  hands  were  outstretched  to  help.  It  seemed 
to  Waters  that  he  would  never  reach  them.  With  in- 
credible good  fortune  he  had  kept  up  thus  far,  spring- 
ing from  log  to  log  as  they  vanished  under  his  feet  like 
a  treadmill.  Parson  Allen  had  procured  a  rope  and 
was  just  throwing  it  to  him.  What  good  would  that 
do,  he  wondered,  since  both  hands  were  busy  holding 
Norine  and  maintaining  his  balance  ?  The  bank  was 
almost  reached — only  a  few  feet  farther.  He  pushed 
Norine  before  him.  A  cheer  went  up — too  soon. 
His  foot  slipped,  and  in  an  instant  he  was  lying  prone 
on  the  logs  and  being  carried  down  with  the  rolling 
mass.  Norine  fell  at  the  same  time,  but  near  enough 
to  the  minister's  outstretched  hands  to  be  dragged 
safely  ashore. 

Waters  had  fallen  face  downward  across  the  logs  in 
such  a  way  that  for  a  while  his  body  remained  at  right 
angles  to  them  and  thus  stayed  on  top  of  the  rolling 
mass ;  but  he  was  absolutely  helpless. 

At  any  instant  his  arms  or  legs  were  liable  to  be 
caught,  and  he  would  then  be  quickly  dragged  under 
and  crushed.  Suddenly  the  movement  in  the  rollway 
became  slower,  and  Waters  struggled  to  regain  his  feet. 

As  he  did  so,  a  heavy  log  rolled  upon  one  leg  and 
pinned  him  down.  Then  the  whole  mass  stopped  as 
though  unwilling  to  complete  the  tragedy  it  had  begun. 

The  excitement  caused  by  Norine' s  sudden  dash  and 
the  schoolmaster's  desperate  plight  had  for  the  moment 
diverted  attention  from  Barney  and  the  stranger  known 
as  Jim  Lane.  Before  help  had  reached  them  in  the 
person  of  Jim  Gyde,  Barney  had  crawled  out  upon  the 
boom  logs  and  pulled  Lane  after  him,  with  nothing 
worse  than  a  ducking  and  a  fright  to  show  for  his  first 
experience  with  a  rollway.  Barney  and  Jim  Gyde 

16 


242  THE  RED-KEGGERS. 

quickly  made  their  way  to  shore  with  the  exhausted  and 
crestfallen  novice,  only  to  find  that  a  more  serious  dis- 
aster was  threatening  at  that  very  instant. 

"  I'll  have  a  word  with  you,  Mr. — Lane,  if  ye  plase, 
when  we  git  through  with  this,"  said  Barney,  as  he  left 
the  volunteer  riverman  and  hurried  toward  the  spot 
where  Norine  was  the  centre  of  an  excited  crowd. 

"  I'll  be  here/'  called  Lane,  following  him,  in  spite  of 
his  wet  clothes,  to  see  what  had  happened. 

Jim  Gyde  was  there,  already,  striding  up  and  down 
the  bank  like  a  madman.  A  fierce  look  of  exultation 
blazed  in  his  eyes  when  he  caught  sight  of  the  school- 
master half-way  out  from  the  shore  and  pinned  down 
among  the  logs. 

"  He's  a  dead  man  the  minute  the  logs  start  to  roll 
again ! "  he  cried.  "  Nothin'  on  earth  can  save  him. 
What's  the  matter  with  them  logs  anyway  ?  They're 
only  half  down.  Why  don't  they  roll  ? — why  don't  they 
roll?" 

The  bystanders  stared  at  Jim  in  astonishment. 

"  Looks  like  ye're  in  a  hurry  for  him  to  get  killed, 
Bub,"  remarked  old  Doctor  Landseer,  whose  son  was 
with  the  drivers  down  the  river.  . 

"Sure,  you're  crazy,  Jim!"  exclaimed  Barney. 
"  We'll  have  him  out  o'  that  in  two  shakes  of  a  stick. 
We  kin  go  down  there,  the  two  of  us,  an'  pull  him  out 
in  no  time." 

"  Shet  up,  you  fool ! "  yelled  Jim.  "  The  minute  you 
step  on  them  logs  down  there,  they'll  roll  again.  Don't 
you  see?  They're  jest  hangin'  now.  What  stopped 
'em,  anyhow  ?  It  can't  be  done.  Nothin'  can  be  done. 
Tech  them  logs,  an'  the  schoolmaster  an'  us,  too,  will 
be  rolled  into  jelly." 

Jim  swung  his  great  arms  in  a  frenzy  of  excitement, 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  243 

and  glared  around  at  the  crowd  as  if  daring  any  one  to 
contradict  him. 

"  Bedad,  I'm  afraid  ye're  right ;  but  we'll  have  a  try 
at  it,  anyhow,"  declared  Barney,  as  he  examined  the 
sloping  bank  of  logs  some  hundred  feet  distant  where 
Waters  lay  waiting  for  the  help  which  he  never  doubted 
would  come. 

Ned  Blakely,  muddy,  panting,  dashed  into  the  group. 

"  It's  jammed !  It's  jammed ! "  he  shouted.  "  Down 
by  the  bend — basswood-tree  undermined  by  current — 
fell  into  river — caught  the  logs  like  fish  in  a  net — river 
backin'  up  fast." 

"  Thet's  what  stopped  the  logs  from  rollin',"  explained 
old  Landseer,  but  nobody  listened. 

"  The  water's  backin'  up ! "  cried  Jim  again.  "  Soon 
'twill  lift  these  'ere  logs  an'  start  'em  goin'  again.  The 
man  that  goes  down  there  now  is  a " 

"  Hero,"  spoke  a  quiet  voice  close  behind  Jim. 

The  young  man  whirled  around,  but  no  one  acknowl- 
edged the  interruption.  Old  Doctor  Landseer,  Jim 
Lane,  in  his  wet  clothes,  and  others  were  pressing  upon 
him.  Suddenly  his  eyes  fell  upon  a  little  group  which 
he  had  not  noticed  before.  Norine  was  there,  and 
Lettie  Green,  white  and  trembling — and  there  was 
another,  whose  face  was  turned  first  to  him  and  then 
to  the  logs  below  the  bank.  An  unspeakable  agony 
and  appeal  was  in  those  eyes ;  her  hands  were  clasped, 
and  she  was  leaning  forward  in  breathless  suspense  for 
the  issue  of  the  dispute  which  seemed  to  her  so  strange 
at  such  a  time.  Jim  staggered  as  from  a  blow.  Hard- 
ly more  than  a  moment  had  passed  since  he  and  Bar- 
ney had  come  to  the  spot,  yet  it  seemed  as  if  a  lifetime 
had  rushed  by.  He  shuddered  as  he  glanced  from 
Axcy  to  the  schoolmaster.  What  was  he  doing? 


244  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

Great  God !  Was  he  trying  to  murder  the  man  who 
had  given  him  the  hand  of  a  brother — who  had  been 
faithful  to  him  even  to  the  point  of ? 

"  Here,  Parson  Allen !  What  are  you  doin'  with  that 
rope  ?  I  tell  you  it's  impossible.  Don't  you  see  his 
foot's  caught?  What  good  is  that?  Git  out  o'  the 
way,  all  of  you !  Give  me  that  rope ! " 

Sweeping  the  crowd  aside,  and  snatching  the  rope 
from  the  minister,  who,  regardless  of  Jim's  wild  talk, 
had  been  actively  preparing  to  rescue  Waters  if  he 
could,  Jim  sprang  with  his  peavy  down  the  bank  and 
out  upon  the  rollway.  Before  the  spectators  had  time 
to  realize  what  was  taking  place,  he  had  fastened  one 
end  of  the  rope  under  the  schoolmaster's  arm  and 
thrown  the  other  end  to  the  bank,  where  it  was  seized 
by  the  minister  and  Barney.  Then  with  his  peavy  Jim 
sought  to  pry  up  the  log  which  was  pressing  upon 
Waters.  One  end  of  it  was  under  two  other  logs,  and 
he  could  not  budge  it  until  they  were  removed.  With- 
out a  moment's  hesitation  he  drove  his  peavy  into  the 
green  pine,  and  with  a  powerful  twist  sent  one  after 
another  of  the  logs  tumbling  down  toward  the  jam  that 
now  covered  the  river.  Quickly  he  sprang  to  the  great 
log  which  had  caused  the  trouble,  and,  with  a  supreme 
output  of  strength,  lifted  it  clear  from  its  place,  and 
Waters  was  instantly  released.  The  next  log  above  it 
slipped  at  once  into  the  opening;  another  followed, 
then  another,  then  more — scores — hundreds — the  roll- 
way  was  in  motion  again.  Jim  gazed  at  the  form  of 
the  schoolmaster  being  drawn  up  out  of  harm's  way. 
He  ought  to  have  watched  his  own  footing.  His  eyes 
wandered  to  a  group  of  faces  on  the  bank — to  one 
face.  He  ought  to  have  been  leaping  nimbly  from  log 
to  log. 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  245 

The  rollway  could  not  go  down  very  far  now  because 
of  the  jam.  When  it  settled  once  more  into  its  tem- 
porary quiet,  Barney  and  others  went  out  and  picked 
up  Jim  Gyde's  bruised  and  broken  body  and  brought  it 
tenderly  to  shore.  Life  was  still  in  it — for  a  little 
while.  The  minister  silently  waved  back  the  crowd 
that  pressed  around,  while  old  Doctor  Landseer  made 
a  hasty  examination,  shaking  his  head  gravely  as  he  did 
so.  Jim  turned  his  eyes  wearily  from  one  to  another 
and  then  looked  into  Allen's  face.  The  minister 
stooped  closer,  and  listened. 

"The  schoolmaster,"  whispered  Jim. 

Waters,  with  his  broken  leg,  was  brought  to  Jim's 
side  and  placed  in  a  reclining  posture  so  that  he  could 
be  as  near  as  possible  to  the  dying  man.  He  grasped 
Jim's  hand ;  their  eyes  met  and  looked  into  each  other's 
soul.  Waters  could  not  speak  for  the  choking  in  his 
throat.  Jim's  lips  moved,  and  Waters  bent  nearer. 

"  You  were  true  to  me — in — every  thin'  ? "  asked  Jim, 
painfully. 

"Yes,  Jim — in  everything;  but,  oh,  Jim!  you've 
given " 

"It's  all  right,  then,"  whispered  Jim  again;  "an' 
she — "  He  stopped,  and  the  gray  began  to  creep  into 
his  face.  "  No,  I  won't  say  it,"  he  added,  presently. 
"You'll  find  out— Good-by." 

"  Good-by,  Jim,  you  noble  fellow — you  hero— oh,  it 
was  too  much,  Jim ! "  said  Waters,  with  a  sob. 

Jim  smiled  and  turned  from  Waters  to  the  minister. 
The  latter  motioned  to  Barney,  and  he  helped  the 
schoolmaster  away,  and  spoke  a  quiet  word  to  one  and 
another  of  the  crowd.  In  a  moment  Jim  Gyde  and 
the  backwoods  minister  were  left  alone  together.  The 
young  lumberman  had  found  his  "gold  "  at  last  It 


246  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

was  almost  within  his  grasp,  and  it  gleamed  before  his 
dimming  eyes  in  the  form  of  a  crown. 

Toward  evening,  after  the  jam  had  been  loosened, 
and  the  remainder  of  the  rollway  broken,  and  the  vari- 
ous gangs  of  drivers  and  rear-enders  had  the  entire 
mass  of  logs  under  control,  Barney  returned  to  the  vil- 
lage in  search  of  Jim  Lane.  He  found  him  in  front  of 
Pete's  place  explaining  for  the  twentieth  time  to  the 
gossips  that  came  and  went  that  he  had  retreated  to 
the  boom  logs  in  the  river,  just  as  Barney  had  ordered 
him  to  do,  but  that  the  shock  and  upheaval  caused  by 
the  downward  rush  of  the  second  section  of  the  roll- 
way  had  thrown  him  off  his  feet,  and  that  Barney,  who 
had  sprung  at  once  to  his  rescue,  had  been  pulled  into 
the  water  in  the  effort  to  drag  him  up  upon  the  boom 
logs. 

"  One  moment,  if  ye  plase,  Mr. — Lane,"  said  Barney, 
pushing  his  way  into  the  group. 

"Certainly;  excuse  me,  gentlemen,  I  must  speak 
with  Mr.  O'Boyle  alone,"  and  the  man  drew  Barney 
away  from  the  inquisitive  idlers. 

"  Now,  sir,  Mr.  Jim  Lane,  as  ye  call  yerself,  tell  me 
what  ye  mane  by  follerin'  me  out  onto  the  rollway," 
demanded  Barney.  "  What  divil's  job  were  ye  hatchin' 
up  with  Sam  Hawkins  the  other  night  ?  What  are  ye 
doin'  here  with  false  whiskers  ?  Begorra,  who  on  airth 
are  ye,  anyhow  ? " 

The  stranger  hesitated  before  answering,  and  eyed 
Barney  contemplatively. 

"  Quite  a  batch  of  questions,  and  rather  pointed ;  but 
I  can't  say  that  I  blame  you,  considering  all  the  cir- 
cumstances. To  begin  with,  I  had  reason  to  suspect, 
very  good  reason,  as  I  thought,  though  it  turned  out 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  247 

to  be  based  on  a  sad  misunderstanding — that  some  one 
working  near  you  had  designs  on  your— well,  we  may 
say,  life.  I  know  now  that  the  overtures  made  to  him 
must  have  been  as  unsuccessful  as  similar  ones  made 
to  me;  but  he  was  an  utter  stranger  to  me.  I  didn't 
know  then  that  he  was  a  hero." 

"Jim  Gyde!  Ye  mane  to  say—?"  began  Barney 
in  great  astonishment. 

"  Well,  perhaps  I  didn't  mean  to  say  anything  defi- 
nite. We'll  let  that  pass.  It  was  rash  for  a  'tender- 
foot '  like  me  to  venture  on  the  rollway,  I  suppose.  I 
yielded  to  an  impulse,  and  for  the  moment  I  imagined 
— but  we'll  let  that  pass,  too;  likewise  the 'job'  you 
say  I  was  hatching  up  with  one  Sam  Hawkins.  As  to 
the — er — little  additions  to  my  hirsute  adornment — 
well,  that  matter  may  as  well  join  the  others  in  retire- 
ment. My  name — is  Jim  Lane.  That  is  not  true,  but 
what's  in  a  name  ?  Perhaps  this  will  do  in  place  of 
one." 

The  queer  stranger  suddenly  unbuttoned  his  shirt 
front,  turned  back  one  side,  and  revealed  something 
fastened  to  it  that  caused  Barney  to  stare  in  still  greater 
astonishment.  Quickly  buttoning  his  shirt  front  again, 
the  man  continued : 

"  I'll  ask  you  to  say  nothing  to  any  one  about  that. 
I  have,  by  the  way,  some  news  for  you  from  Belfast, 
and  if " 

"Belfast,  did  ye  say?"  interrupted  Barney,  excit- 
edly. "  Howly  Saints !  That  same  is  where  I  came 
from,  an*  Miss  Norine,  too.  An'  ye  have  news  from 
there,  is  it  ?  Faith,  I'm  dyin'  to  hear  it." 

"  Call  in  at  Pete's  place  to-morrow  evening  about  this 
time,  and  meanwhile  remember  that  you  don't  know 
any  more  than  any  one  else  about  Jim  Lane." 


348  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

Barney  returned  to  the  Hawkins  farm  with  curiosity, 
wonder,  and  anxiety  tugging  at  his  heart.  He  could 
hardly  wait  until  the  time  came  to  talk  with  the  stran- 
ger at  Pete's  saloon.  Early  the  following  evening  he 
repaired  to  the  appointed  place,  only  to  find  that  "  Jim 
Lane"  had  disappeared  from  Red-Keg,  and  no  one 
knew  where  or  when  he  had  gone. 


CHAPTER   XV11I 

LATE  Wednesday  afternoon,  two  days  after  the 
breaking  of  the  rollway,  a  group  of  Red-Keggers  was 
gathered  in  Jake  Vogel's  store  talking  over  the  funeral 
of  Jim  Gyde,  which  had  been  held  that  afternoon  in 
Midland.  Several  of  the  party,  including  Jake  himself, 
had  just  returned  and  stopped  for  a  few  minutes'  gossip 
at  the  store  before  going  home  to  supper. 

"Tain't  many  of  us'll  have  two  parsons  to  our 
fun'ral,"  remarked  Ned  Blakely,  as  he  dusted  off  the 
top  of  a  sugar  barrel  with  his  handkerchief  so  that  he 
could  sit  down  without  soiling  his  best  black  suit. 

"  'Twant  none  too  good  fer  Jim,"  said  Vogel.  "  He 
deserved  the  big  crowd,  an'  the  two  parsons,  an'  the 
wreaths,  an'  singin',  an'  all ;  though  as  ter  the  parsons, 
it  couldn't  a  bin  any  ways  else.  Old  Bill  Gyde  is  one 
o'  the  pillers  o'  the  church  in  Midland,  an'  o'  course  he 
had  ter  hev  thet  little  Parson  Hayward  o'  hisen.  Our 
own  Elder  Allen  went  cause  he's  the  only  parson  Jim 
ever  had,  an'  you  couldn't  no  more  kep'  him  away  than 
nothin'.  They  say  he  felt  wuss  over  Jim  than  the  old 
man  did  himself." 

"  Shouldn't  wonder,"  declared  Bob  Landseer.  "  They 
wasn't  much  love  lost  'tween  Jim  an*  the  old  man. 
The  boy  was  brung  up  on  a  stick  till  he  got  too  big  for 
it,  an'  the  stick  never  had  no  taffy  'long  with  it.  I  hear 
thet  Schoolmaster  Waters  is  more  cut  up  than  anybody, 
though,  an'  fretted  hisself  near  sick  cause  he  couldn't 
git  up  an'  go  to  the  funeral." 

34G 


250  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

"He  has  cause  enough  ter  feel  cut  up,"  replied 
Blakely,  "seem'  es  Jim  got  kilt  savin' his  life;  but 
there's  somebody  else  feels  es  bad  es  the  schoolmaster, 
an'  mebbe  worse,  ef  what  my  Jenny  tells  me  is  true." 

"  Who's  that  ? "  asked  several  at  once. 

"  Axcy  Marthy,"  announced  Blakely  with  significant 
emphasis,  and  the  expression  of  one  who  has  sprung  a 
sensation. 

"  How's  that  ?  What's  she  got  to  do  with  it  ?  They 
warn't  engaged,  war  they?"  asked  the  others,  with 
satisfactory  display  of  curiosity. 

"No,  they  warn't;  thet's  jest  it.  She  refused  him, 
an'  now  she  thinks  he  wasn't  hisself  on  Monday  on 
thet  account,  or  he  wouldn't  a-gone  down  after  savin' 
the  schoolmaster.  More'n  that,  they  say  she's  sweet 
on  Waters,  an*  thet  Jim  knew  it  when  he  went  out  on 
the  rollway  to  pull  him  out  o'  the  jaws  o'  death.  Ef 
it's  true,  an'  I  don't  doubt  it  fer  a  minute,  Jim  Gyde 
was  a  braver  man  than  any  of  us  knew." 

"Amen!  He  certainly  was,"  exclaimed  Dan  Un- 
derbill ;  "  but  I  don't  see  the  need  of  Axcy  blamin'  her- 
self at  all.  It  was  all  the  fault  of  that  pesky  stranger, 
Lane,  who  had  no  business  on  the  river.  The  whole 
thing  started  with  him.  What  did  he  go  out  there  for, 
anyhow,  an'  where  in  blazes  is  he  now  ?  He  skipped 
out  of  town  as  suddenly  as  he  skipped  in." 

"  Ye  might  ask  Barney  about  that,"  suggested  Arch 
Fellows.  "  Him  an'  the  stranger  went  off  talkin'  to- 
gether by  theirselves  Monday  evenin',  ef  I  remember 
right." 

'*  Barney  don't  know  no  more'n  you  or  I  do,"  declared 
Jake  Vogel  with  some  heat.  "  He  yanked  the  stranger 
away  to  ask  him  jest  the  same  questions  you  been 
askin'  now.  Lane  put  him  off  till  the  next  day,  an' 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  -251 

then  skipped.  I  saw  Barney  last  night  when  he  come 
down  to  see  the  fellow,  an'  Barney  was  disgusted  clean 
through  when  he  found  out  the  chap  had  gone." 

"  Guess  he  had  enough  o'  life  in  this  region,  after 
bein'  near  chawed  up  in  the  rollway,"  suggested  Blakely. 

"  Likely  he  was  afraid  o'  bein'  locked  up  fer  causin' 
the  death  o'  Jim  Gyde,"  said  Landseer.  "But  he 
seemed  ter  take  sech  an  interest  in  local  happenings, 
he  might  o'  took  the  chance  an'  stayed  ter  help  put  up 
Ros's  new  house.  'Twould  only  kept  him  here  a  week 
longer,  an'  a  house-raisin'  is  es  much  fun  es  breakin'  a 
rollway,  an'  less  risk." 

"  Oh,  let  him  go,"  exclaimed  Vogel.  "  Ros  will  hev 
all  the  help  he  can  take  care  of.  Fer  my  part,  I'm 
glad  the  close-mouthed  stranger's  gone.  I  jest  see 
Barney,  an'  Farmer  Hawkins,  and  Norine  Maloney 
drive  past  on  the  way  home  from  Jim's  funeral.  It's 
supper-time,  an'  I'm  goin'  in  the  house." 

With  this  gentle  hint,  the  company  dispersed  to  con- 
tinue their  comments  and  speculations  at  their  own 
tea-tables. 

During  the  same  afternoon  a  different  discussion  was 
taking  place  in  Pete's  saloon.  Sam  Hawkins  and  Billy 
Axf ord  were  in  private  consultation  with  Pete  concern- 
ing the  extra  drain  which  had  been  made  upon  his  sup- 
plies during  the  past  week  and  the  urgent  need  for  re- 
plenishment. Pete  was  the  only  person  outside  of  the 
Invincibles  themselves  who  was  kept  informed  of  their 
business  progress,  and  all  other  patrons  of  the  "  Mystic 
Brand  "  either  procured  their  supply  direct  from  him,  or 
received  from  him  the  tip  as  to  the  right  spot  to  find  a 
cache  in  the  woods.  Even  Pete  was  kept  in  igno- 
rance of  the  location  of  the  spring  from  which  the 


252  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

contraband  liquid  flowed,  and  he  was  quite  content  to 
have  it  so. 

While  Pete  and  the  two  Invincibles  were  discussing 
arrangements  for  filling  his  own  barrel,  and  meeting 
certain  outside  demands,  Red  Lampheer  swaggered 
noisily  into  the  barroom  and  called  for  Pete.  Ignoring 
the  presence  of  Sam  and  Billy,  he  made  known  the 
fact  that  his  crew  up  at  Old  Bloag's  camp  on  the  To- 
bacco was  "  stranded  high  an'  dry,"  having  exhausted 
their  own  stuff  and  mopped  up  the  last  drop  of  the  real 
article  in  Sixteen ;  consequently  he  had  been  vocifer- 
ously requested  to  "go  down  to  Pete's  an'  bring  up  an 
ocean  or  two  ter  set  the  gang  afloat." 

Pete  winked  at  Sam  and  told  Red  that  he  could  only 
let  him  have  a  couple  of  demijohns  at  once,  but  that 
in  a  day  or  two  he  would  see  that  he  got  all  he  wanted. 

"  A  couple  of  demijohns ! "  cried  Lampheer,  with  a 
volley  of  backwoods  oaths.  "D'ye  think  the  boys 
wan'  ter  make  fools  o'  their  mouths  ?  They  ain't  'miff 
in  a  couple  o'  demij  ohns  ter  give  'em  all  a  smell.  They'll 
run  me  outer  camp." 

"  Can't  help  it ;  stock's  low,"  replied  Pete,  indiffer- 
ently. "  Might  let  ye  hev  three  ef  ye're  in  such  a  bad 
way ;  but  thet'll  hev  ter  do  ye  till  the  day  after  termor- 
rer.  How  are  ye  comin*  on  with  ole  man  Bloag  ? " 

"Nohow — may  the  devil  roast  him!"  exclaimed 
Lampheer.  "  The  ole  skinflint  ain't  ponyin*  up  a  cent. 
His  logs  is  lay  in'  on  the  skids  an'  in  the  woods,  an'  he 
can't  git  'em  down  the  river  this  year,  nohow;  so  he 
says  he'll  keep  the  crew  in  camp  an*  not  pay  'em  a  cent 
till  every  log  is  barked  to  save  'em  from  the  worms. 
The  boys  ain't  ready  ter  give  in  yet,  an'  the  ole  man's 
logs  can  rot  till  they's  skatin'  in  hell  for  all  I  care. 
We'll  see  our  money  'fore  we  bark  a  log  " 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  253 

"  What  ef  he  should  cut  off  yer  grub  ? "  asked  Pete. 

"  He's  too  smart  fer  thet.  He  knows  we  all  'd  hev 
ter  quit  then  fer  sure,  an'  his  logs  wouldn't  be  wuth  a 
cent.  He  couldn't  git  no  other  gang  ter  tech  'em  ef  he 
druv  us  away  owin'  our  season's  stakes.  He  reckons 
we'll  come  crawlin'  to  him  in  a  few  days  axin*  his  par- 
ding;  but  he's  missed  his  tally  there.  We're  layin'  ter 
wait  till  after  the  dance  at  Sixteen ;  then  we'll  tell  the 
ole  fool  ef  he  don't  pony  up  we'll  skip  an'  leave  his  logs 
ter  the  worms,  an'  git  the  law  onter  him." 

"  What's  the  dance  at  Sixteen  got  to  do  with  you  all 
an'  ole  Bloag?"  inquired  Pete;  and  Sam  began  at  the 
same  time  to  show  a  lively  interest  in  the  conversation. 

"  What's  it  got  ter  do  with  us  ?  Well,  thet's  a  cool 
one !  Don't  ye  reckon  we  lay  out  ter  git  an  invite  ter 
thet  'ere  dance  ? "  cried  Lampheer,  indignantly. 

"  Oh,  like  enough  ye  do,"  sneered  Pete;  " but  I  ain't 
heard  any  one  say  es  how  ole  Bloag's  gang  o'  shanty- 
men  was  wanted  ter  the  dance." 

Red  Lampheer  let  out  a  yell  of  rage  and  a  string  of 
profanity  as  he  demanded  to  know  "  why  in  hell  he  an' 
the  boys  warn't  wanted." 

"  Mebbe  thet's  jest  the  place  ye  are  wanted  in ;  but 
I  was  talkin'  of  the  dance.  Ye  know  it's  them  as  lives 
in  these  parts  an'  behaves  themselves  respectable  who 
gits  invites  ter  the  dance.  They'll  be  three  or  four 
boys  ter  every  gal,  anyhow,  an'  the  ballroom  ain't  no 
place  fer  a  big  crowd.  No  offense,  o'  course,"  added 
Pete  in  a  conciliatory  tone.  "  I  ain't  never  had  an  invite 
myself." 

"  Well,  ye  might  es  well  tell  the  committee  thet  me 
an*  the  boys  '11  git  invites,  or  they'll  be  trouble,"  asserted 
Red,  threateningly. 

"  Oh,  come  now,  ye  wouldn't  push  yer  drive  in  where 


254  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

ye're  not  wanted,"  urged  Pete,  more  for  the  sake  of 
argument  than  with  a  desire  to  preserve  peace. 

"  Thet's  what  we'll  do  ef  they  try  to  give  us  a  throw 
down,"  insisted  Red ;  "  so  ef  they  want  ter  save  trouble, 
let  'em  send  along  the  invites." 

Sam  had  been  listening  with  growing  satisfaction. 
Things  seemed  to  be  shaping  just  as  he  would  have 
them,  Perhaps  a  word  in  season  might  help  to  bring 
matters  to  a  head.  He  sauntered  up  to  the  bar  and 
asked  Lampheer  to  have  one  with  him. 

"  You  are  dead  right  about  the  dance,"  he  said,  confi- 
dentially. "  It  would  be  an  outrage  not  to  send  you  in- 
vitations, don't  you  know.  You  see,  the  whole  trouble 
is  with  the  management.  Barney  O' Boyle  is  bossing 
the  whole  thing  this  year,  and  he  has  the  swelled  head. 
He  thinks  he's  better  than  you  and  your  men,  and  he 
is  bound  to  keep  you  out.  I  heard  him  say  that  this 
dance  is  to  be  very  select  and  exclusive,  and  that  he 
wasn't  going  to  allow  any  drunken  shantymen  near  the 
place." 

"Warn't  goin*  to  allow  any —  Hell  an'  furies! 
We'll  see  about  that.  I  never  hed  much  ter  do  with 
Barney,  but  I  thought  he  hed  too  much  sense  ter 
say  a  thing  like  that.  We'll  just  about  come  down 
an*  own  thet  dance,  an'  like's  not  we  won't  'low  any 
sech  critters  as  Barney  an'  his  crew  in  the  place.  You 
hear  me  \ " 

"  It  would  be  no  more  than  right,  I'm  sure,"  declared 
Sam,  hardly  concealing  his  delight ;  "  but  you'll  have 
to  come  prepared.  Barney  says  that  any  drunken 
loafers  who  try  to  break  in  to  the  dance  will  have  to 
fight  him  first." 

"  Fight  him ! "  yelled  Red  Lampheer,  beside  himself 
with  rage ;  "  we'll  fight  him ;  we'll  tear  him  into  rags 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  255 

an'  feed  the  crows.  We'll  teach  him  an*  all  like  him 
to  go  easy  with  Red  Lampheer  an'  his  gang  o'  shanty- 
men.  By !  You  hear  me ! " 

The  irate  shantyman  tied  his  three  demijohns  on  the 
back  of  his  buckboard  and  drove  off  swearing  ven- 
geance and  ruin  for  Barney  and  the  rest  of  the  Red-Keg- 
gers  who  should  attempt  to  exclude  the  gang  from  the 
last  dance  and  supper  of  the  season,  which  was  booked 
for  a  fortnight  hence  at  the  little  village  of  Sixteen, 
some  twelve  miles  up  the  river.  Sam  started  soon 
after  for  home,  congratulating  himself  on  the  chance 
which  had  thrown  Red  Lampheer  in  his  way.  As  he 
passed  the  Maloney  farm  he  saw  Barney  and  Norine 
sitting  together  under  the  trees  near  the  house.  Just 
then  Mrs.  Maloney  came  to  the  door  and  called  them 
to  supper.  Evidently  Barney  was  there  to  spend  the 
evening.  The  bitter  hatred  in  his  heart  flamed  up  anew 
as  he  saw  the  happiness  which  he  had  been  unable  to 
interrupt  and  which  interfered  so  provokingly  with  his 
own  plans. 

The  Hawkins  and  Maloney  homesteads  were  scarcely 
a  mile  apart  as  the  crow  flies,  but  a  bend  in  the  road 
added  half  a  mile  to  the  distance  for  those  who  did  not 
care  to  tramp  through  the  fields  and  a  rough  patch  of 
woods.  With  Norine,  Barney  always  took  the  longer 
route — alone,  he  used  the  short  cut.  Late  that  even- 
ing he  was  returning  home  across  lots,  whistling  a  gay 
tune,  and  utterly  oblivious  of  everything  but  his  own 
happy  thoughts.  The  night  was  dark,  but  he  knew  his 
way,  and  went  on  unhesitatingly  until  he  came  to  a 
narrow  arm  of  the  woods  which  followed  a  small  stream 
across  the  Hawkins  farm.  Here  the  low  ground  on 
both  sides  of  the  stream  was  swampy  and  treacherous, 
being  covered  with  fallen  logs  and  pools  of  water.  Spe- 


256  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

cial  care  was  necessary  in  passing  this  spot,  especially 
at  night,  and  Barney  began  to  pick  his  footholds  more 
slowly.  As  he  reached  a  large  log  which  had  been 
stretched  across  one  of  the  pools  for  a  path,  he  heard  a 
rustling  in  the  brush  behind  him.  Thinking  it  might 
be  a  wildcat  who  had  ventured  down  from  the  forest, 
he  quickened  his  steps  to  reach  the  open.  The  next 
instant  his  foot  tripped,  and,  unable  to  regain  his  bal- 
ance, he  fell  heavily  forward  upon  the  log  and  rolled 
into  the  water.  In  a  moment  he  righted  himself  and 
began  to  scramble  back  upon  the  log.  Just  as  he  threw 
one  leg  over  it,  another  heavy  log  fell  with  crushing 
force,  seemingly  from  the  tree  above  him,  and  struck 
him  down  again  into  the  swamp. 

Hew  long  he  remained  there  stunned  he  could  not 
tell.  When  he  regained  consciousness,  he  found  him- 
self lying  half  buried  in  mud  and  water,  his  legs  pinned 
down  beneath  the  log  that  had  fallen  upon  him.  It 
seemed  as  if  every  bone  in  his  body  was  broken  as 
he  struggled  to  throw  off  the  weight  across  his  legs. 
By  slow,  painful  degrees,  however,  he  succeeded  in  ex- 
tricating himself  and  crawling  up  again  upon  the  log 
which  served  as  a  foot-path.  There  he  sat  for  several 
minutes  to  recover  his  wits  and  take  an  inventory  of 
his  bruises.  Failing  to  find  any  serious  injury,  his 
spirits  rose,  and  his  anger,  accordingly. 

"  What  divil's  work  is  this,  begorra  ? "  he  muttered. 
"  Sure,  I  heard  some  varmint  rustlin'  the  bushes,  or 
I'm  a  sinner." 

He  examined  the  log  on  which  he  sat,  crawling  along 
toward  the  further  end.  A  tiny  sapling  was  bent 
down  across  it  and  caught  in  the  fork  of  a  tree  on  the 
opposite  side  Evidently  it  was  this  which  had  tripped 
him  up. 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  257 

"Some  murdherin'  spalpeen  did  that  a'  purpose!" 
exclaimed  Barney,  glaring  around  into  the  darkness. 
"  Come  out  here,  ye  divil's  whelp,  an'  let  me  see  ye. 
I'll  tache  ye  to  set  on  a  man  in  the  dark ! " 

Not  a  sound  came  in  response  to  his  invitation,  but 
he  went  on  with  increasing  rage,  "Begorra,  ye're  a 
cowardly  hellyun,  whoever  ye  are,  an'  I'll  make  it  my 
business  to  find  out.  Ef  thet  log  hed  hit  me  square  on 
the  head,  ye'd  hev  murder  on  yer  soul  this  night,  an' 
no  mistake.  Faith,  the  murder  is  there  now  for  all  ye 
know  an'  care." 

As  he  vented  his  wrath  against  his  unknown  foe, 
Barney  hurried  as  well  as  his  sore  joints  would  let  him 
toward  home.  Suddenly  he  stopped  short  and 

clenched  his  fists.  "  By ! "  he  exclaimed  through 

his  teeth.  "  Ef  it  was  you ! "  No  threat  to  suit 

his  need  came  ready  to  his  mind  and  he  completed  his 
limping  walk  to  the  Hawkins  farm  in  silence,  but  the 
square  jaw  and  clenched  fists  spoke  a  forcible  language 
of  their  own. 

"  Lands  alive,  Barney !  what's  happened  to  you  ? "  ex- 
claimed Mother  Hawkins,  as  he  entered  the  sitting- 
room. 

"  Tripped  on  a  log,  an'  fell  into  the  swamp,  Mother, 
darlint.  Hit  my  head  an'  feel  sore  an'  mad,  but  no 
bones  broken.  Sam  home  yet  ? " 

"  Yes,  he  came  in  a  little  while  ago  from  his  hunting 
trip — why  ? " 

"  Faith,  I  only  axed.  Good-night,"  and  Barney  hur- 
ried off  to  bed  for  fear  the  dear  old  lady  might  see  the 
gleam  of  rage  and  suspicion  that  sprang  into  his  eyes. 

In  the  morning  he  was  not  much  the  worse  for  his 
mishap,  save  for  a  soreness  and  slight  stiffness  in  his 
legs,  and  in  the  shoulder  which  received  the  principal 
I) 


258  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

force  of  the  blow  from  the  log.  He  waited  around  the 
house  for  an  hour  or  two  until  Sam  Hawkins  came 
down  to  his  breakfast.  Then  he  walked  into  the  room 
on  some  pretext,  keeping  his  eye  on  Sam's  face.  He 
thought  he  saw  him  start  and  pale  slightly,  but  other- 
wise pay  no  heed  to  his  presence.  Presently  Barney 
went  out  without  speaking.  Since  the  previous  even- 
ing he  had  weighed  the  matter  carefully  in  his  mind, 
and  had  come  to  the  unwilling  conclusion  that  it  would 
not  be  wise  to  accuse  Sam  of  an  attempt  on  his  life. 
In  the  first  place,  he  had  nothing  himself  but  suspicion. 
He  could  not  prove  that  he  had  been  the  victim  of  any- 
thing but  a  somewhat  unusual  accident.  In  the  second 
place,  Sam  would  undoubtedly  deny  with  indignation 
that  he  had  been  anywhere  near  the  place,  or  that  he 
knew  anything  whatever  concerning  the  affair.  With 
so  little  to  back  up  his  accusation,  his  story  would  look 
too  improbable,  and  Sam  would  be  given  the  full  benefit 
of  the  doubt.  Clearly  the  only  thing  to  do  was  to 
watch  and  wait. 


CHAPTER   XIX 

Ros  WHITMORE  had  prospered  during  the  two  years 
since  Farmer  Hawkins  had  engaged  him  to  clear  the 
stumps  from  a  section  of  his  farm.  He  and  his  good 
wife  Jule  were  hard  workers  and  missed  no  opportunity 
to  provide  and  save  for  their  large  and  growing  brood. 
The  little  cabin  which  they  had  erected  out  at  The  Cor- 
ners, in  the  Sturgeon  district,  when  they  were  among 
the  first  pioneers  of  the  region,  had  long  been  too  small. 
The  time  had  come  at  last  for  building  a  house  more 
suited  to  their  needs  and  their  position.  The  Whit- 
mores  were  popular  far  and  wide  among  young  and  old. 
It  was  a  foregone  conclusion  that  Ros's  house-raising 
bee  would  eclipse  anything  of  the  kind  seen  in  the 
township. 

For  weeks  Ros  had  been  selecting  and  bringing  from 
the  forest  the  best  long,  smooth  pine-trees  he  could 
find  whose  diameter  at  the  base  was  from  a  foot  to  four- 
teen or  sixteen  inches  and  tapered  to  eight  or  ten 
inches  at  a  distance  of  twenty  to  twenty-four  feet  from 
the  ground.  As  he  intended  to  build  a  good  "  block  " 
house,  he  flattened  the  logs  with  a  broadax,  cut  them 
into  proper  lengths,  and  squared  the  ends  to  make  them 
ready  to  be  placed  in  their  proper  position  in  the  house. 
For  the  less  pretentious  houses  and  for  the  lumber- 
shanties  the  ends  of  the  logs  only  were  squared,  and 
on  raising-day  the  logs  were  put  up  with  the  bark  on. 
Thus  they  were  rather  uncouth  in  appearance,  but  an- 
swered the  simple  needs  of  the  majority  of  small  farm- 

359 


260  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

ers.  When  properly  chinked  with  clay  or  plaster, 
these  log  dwellings  were  warm  and  dry  in  winter,  which 
was  a  great  desideratum.  Ros,  however,  was  deter- 
mined on  a  very  different  kind  of  house.  He  and  his 
large  family  had  lived  long  enough  in  the  little  rough 
log  cabin  of  a  pioneer.  His  new  house  would  be  one 
of  the  finest  of  its  kind  within  twenty  miles,  almost  as 
good  as  that  of  Farmer  Hawkins.  All  the  logs  were 
nicely  hewed  and  squared.  The  house  was  to  be  one 
and  a  half  stories  high,  with  real  sawed  rafters,  shin- 
gles for  the  roof,  siding  for  the  gable  ends,  and  all 
chinks  filled  with  real  lime  plaster. 

As  soon  as  the  logs  were  cut,  trimmed,  and  ready  to 
be  put  in  place,  Ros  set  a  day  for  the  raising,  and  every 
able-bodied  man  within  reasonable  distance  was  invited 
to  be  present  and  lend  a  helping  hand.  The  Saturday 
following  the  breaking  of  the  rollway  had  been  selected 
as  a  convenient  time  for  the  many  who  had  been  en- 
gaged on  the  river  and  had  not  yet  settled  down  to  the 
regular  spring  work  on  their  farms. 

Raising-bees  were  always  great  occasions.  The  crowd 
never  failed.  Drawn  by  the  certainty  of  a  generous 
spread  and  plenty  to  drink,  as  well  as  by  cordial  neigh- 
borly feeling,  and  the  unwritten  law  which  governed 
such  events,  nearly  all  who  could  come  did  come.  The 
jug  was  a  potent  factor.  Custom  had  established  it 
as  an  indispensable  adjunct  of  every  raising-bee,  and 
many  young  farmers  who  would  have  been  ashamed  to 
be  seen  going  into  Pete's  place,  partook  openly,  and 
often  too  freely  of  his  "  Mystic  Brand  "  at  these  gather- 
ings, frequently  taking  their  first  lessons  in  dram-drink- 
ing. At  the  wind-up  of  a  raising-bee  the  sober  men 
were  usually  a  small  minority,  and  often  serious  acci- 
dents befell  those  whose  nerves  had  been  rendered 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  261 

unsteady  before  the  heavy  work  of  the  day  was  finished. 
Ros  was  himself  a  temperate  man,  and  did  not  approve 
of  the  use  of  liquor,  but  at  a  time  like  this  he  felt  com- 
pelled to  yield  to  popular  custom  and  demands.  To 
omit  so  important  an  item  would  be  regarded  as  an  un- 
pardonable breach  of  hospitality,  so  he  provided  him- 
self with  several  jugs  of  "  Pete's  best,"  which,  as  the 
latter  confidentially  informed  him,  had  been  specially 
procured  the  day  before  for  this  occasion.  His  wife, 
also,  made  generous  preparations  for  the  great  crowd 
which  was  sure  to  be  on  hand.  "  Aunt  'Jule's"  din- 
ners were  famous  for  their  quality  as  well  as  for  their 
quantity,  and  there  were  many  willing  hands  to  help 
her,  because  the  women  were  glad  of  any  excuse  to  be 
present  as  participants  in  the  activity. 

Barney  had  recovered  from  his  bruises  sufficiently  to 
attend  the  raising.  Indeed,  his  presence  was  regarded 
as  well  nigh  indispensable,  because  of  his  cool  head, 
his  ready  wit,  and  his  universal  popularity.  Few,  how- 
ever, were  prepared  for  the  announcement  made  by 
Sam  Hawkins  the  day  before  the  raising  that  he  also 
intended  to  go  and  help  in  the  work,  and  that  he  would 
do  as  much  as  anybody  to  help  Ros  Whitmore  put  up 
his  house. 

"As  to  thet,  we'll  wait  an'  see,"  remarked  Tom 
Moore  to  Barney,  and  then  he  asked,  "  What  idee  hes 
he  got  in  his  head,  d'ye  think?  Tain't  likely  he's 
grown  fond  o'  work  all  on  a  sudden." 

Barney's  eyes  flashed,  and  he  clenched  his  fists,  but 
he  merely  replied,  "  Faith,  ye'll  have  to  ask  me  some- 
thin'  asier." 

On  Saturday  morning  Sam  was  astir  fully  two  hours 
earlier  than  his  wont.  Both  his  father  and  mother 
marvelled  at  his  unaccustomed  activity,  but  were  glad 


262  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

to  see  it  aroused  in  a  good  cause.  Sam  said  very  little 
to  any  one.  He  was  ill-natured  and  nervous,  and  seemed 
to  be  enlisted  in  the  day's  undertaking  not  because  he 
liked  it,  but  in  spite  of  his  dislike  of  it.  Yet  no  one 
had  urged,  or  even  invited  him  to  attend  the  raising, 
taking  for  granted  that  it  would  be  useless  to  do  so. 

Farmer  Hawkins  and  Mother  Hawkins,  and  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Maloney  rode  over  to  Ros  Whitmore's  immedi- 
ately after  breakfast.  Barney  and  Norine  walked  there 
together,  while  Sam  went  by  himself,  and  arrived  after 
all  the  others.  Nearly  two  hundred  men,  women,  and 
children  had  gathered  on  the  clearing.  Work  was 
about  to  begin.  Two  layers  of  logs  were  already  in 
place  upon  the  foundation,  and  others  were  on  the  skids 
waiting  to  be  moved  up  to  form  the  third  tier.  The 
ever-present  jug  had  taken  its  first  round  and  was 
about  to  be  placed  in  the  cool  shade  of  a  hollow  tree 
near  by  as  Sam  sauntered  up. 

"  Seems  I'm  just  in  time,"  he  remarked,  taking  in 
the  situation  at  a  glance.  "  Pass  that  jug  this  way  be- 
fore you  set  it  down.  It's  good  stuff.  I  can  vouch 
for  that,  don't  you  know." 

"How's  that?  What  d'ye  know  about  it,  more'n 
anybody  else  ? "  asked  Arch  Fellows,  who  held  the  jug, 
eyeing  Sam  curiously. 

"  Oh,  you  know — that  is,  I  heard  Pete  say  he  was 
going  to  fetch  up  from  his  cellar  some  of  his  best  stock 
for  this  occasion,"  replied  Sam,  coloring  with  sudden 
embarrassment. 

"  Reckon  ye  got  thet  a  leetle  mixed,  me  boy,"  re- 
sponded the  other,  handing  Sam  the  jug  "  Pete  told 
Ros  Whitmore  es  how  he'd  jes'  ordered  this  lot,  spe- 
cial, from  his  agent  for  this  raisin'.  But  it's  good  stuff, 
es  you  say,  sure  enough." 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  263 

Sam  took  a  deep  draught  of  the  liquor. 

"Hurry  up,  Sam!"  exclaimed  Joe  Reon  in  a  half 
whisper  at  his  side.  "  Here  comes  Barney.  Ros  hes 
appointed  him  his  assistant  superintendent  for  this  job 
an'  asked  him  to  shet  off  the  drinkin'  until  after  the 
house  is  up — if  he  can." 

Sam  set  the  jug  down  with  a  fierce  oath,  and  seemed 
on  the  point  of  defying  Barney  then  and  there,  but 
just  beyond  Barney  he  saw  the  minister  talking  with 
Ros  Whitmore,  and  he  quickly  edged  away  through  the 
crowd. 

"Pile  in  here,  boys,"  called  Barney,  whipping  off  his 
own  coat.  "  Begorra,  this  '11  be  a  foine  big  house,  an' 
we  must  be  after  finishin'  it  before  sundown." 

Each  man  was  given  his  place,  and  the  work  began 
in  earnest.  Five  or  six  tiers  were  set  and  made  fast 
without  interruption.  Then  some  one  started  the  jug 
on  its  rounds  again. 

"  Ye'd  better  lave  the  jug  alone  till  the  house  is  up," 
expostulated  Barney ;  but  it  was  of  no  use,  for  the  fire 
had  been  kindled  and  the  blaze  must  be  kept  up.  No- 
body was  content  to  be  left  out  after  some  had  had 
their  turns,  so  it  was  impossible  to  proceed  with  the 
work  until  all  who  wished  had  partaken  a  second  time 
of  Pete's  "best," 

While  the  lower  tiers  were  being  placed,  the  work 
was  comparatively  easy  and  safe.  The  skids  rested  at 
a  gentle  incline,  one  end  on  the  ground  and  the  other 
on  the  highest  tier.  The  heavy  logs  were  moved  up 
this  incline  by  the  use  of  ropes  pulled  by  those  above, 
assisted  by  the  strong  arms  of  those  below,  who  pushed 
as  long  as  they  could  reach  the  rising  log.  As  the 
walls  grew  higher  and  the  incline  of  the  skids  corre- 
spondingly steeper,  the  work  became  more  difficult, 


264  THE  RED-KEGGERS  ' 

and  the  element  of  danger  entered.  Cool  heads,  strong 
arms  and  backs,  and  steady  nerves  were  essential. 
Moreover,  the  quality  of  the  work  depended  upon  the 
carefulness  used  in  setting  the  logs  true  and  fastening 
the  ends  securely.  Many  a  house  and  barn  had  suf- 
fered from  neglect  in  these  particulars,  caused  by  too 
much  attention  to  the  jug. 

Sam  worked  gingerly,  and  skipped  from  place  to 
place  with  apparently  no  reason,  never  sticking  to  any 
one  task  more  than  a  few  minutes.  He  was  gruff  and 
irritable,  and  seemed  to  be  dissatisfied  with  everything. 
Barney,  on  the  other  hand,  worked  with  steady  persist- 
ence, always  at  the  hardest  places,  and  ready  to  help 
wherever  there  seemed  to  be  any  danger  of  a  log  slip- 
ping. His  hearty  words  of  encouragement  and  exhor- 
tation, and  his  merry  laugh  and  quick  wit,  inspired  all 
with  a  greater  willingness  to  work ;  but  he  could  not 
persuade  them  to  let  the  jug  alone. 

An  old  lady,  a  dear  old  soul,  known  by  all  as  "  Gran- 
ny," lived  in  a  shanty  near  by,  and  although  more  than 
eighty  years  of  age,  she  was  possessed  of  great  vigor, 
and  took  as  much  interest  in  the  house-raising  as  did 
Ros  Whitmore  himself.  She  watched  the  work  from 
the  laying  of  the  first  log,  and  as  one  by  one  the  tiers 
went  up,  and  time  after  time  the  "  Mystic  Brand  "  went 
around,  she  began  to  notice  that  the  corners  of  the 
building  were  showing  the  effects  of  too  much  stimu- 
lation on  the  brain.  The  condition  of  "  her  boys,"  as 
she  called  all  the  men,  worried  her  greatly,  and  finally 
she  walked  up  to  a  group  that  had  just  gathered  for 
another  round  of  drinks  and  addressed  them : 

"  Look  here,  boys,  don't  you  think  you  ought  to  let 
me  have  thet  jug  for  a  while  ?  Some  of  you  will  surely 
get  hurted.  Besides,  don't  you  see  what  poor  work 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  265 

you  are  doin'  on  Ros's  house  ?  Jes'  let  me  keep  it  till 
after  dinner,  anyhow,  and  then  if  you  must  have  it  I'll 
give  it  to  you  agin." 

"  Hear  what  Granny  says  ? "  laughed  Ned  Blakely. 
"  She  wants  you  to  give  up  the  jug  till  arter  dinner, 
an'  I  guess  she's  about  right." 

"  I've  got  er  holt  o*  this  jug  now,  an'  don't  intend  to 
let  go  yet,"  said  Jake  Vogel,  good-humoredly.  "  But 
Granny's  right,  jest  the  same,  an'  she  can  hev  it  as 
soon  as  I  get  enough/'  and  suiting  the  action  to  the 
word,  he  took  a  long  "  pull "  of  the  stuff.  "  There,"  he 
remarked  with  a  laugh,  as  he  held  the  jug  out  to 
Granny,  "  I'll  be  good  now.  Ye  got  ter  limber  up  a 
bit  on  these  neighborly  occasions,  ye  know.  I've  been 
ter  lots  of  'em,  an'  guess  I  know  when  it's  time  ter 
stop." 

"  Jake's  a  hog,"  said  Tim  Underwood,  and  reaching 
for  the  jug  before  Granny  could  get  it,  proceeded  to 
demonstrate  that  he  belonged  to  the  same  genus. 

Barney  and  Ros  were  both  getting  out  of  patience, 
but  the  good-nature  of  the  crew  prevented  any  out- 
break, and  as  they  were  all  volunteers,  extreme  measures 
could  not  be  taken.  Even  Parson  Allen  deemed  it 
wise  to  refrain  from  remonstrance  which  would  be 
listened  to  with  perfect  good-humor  and  respect,  and 
then  disregarded  when  his  back  was  turned.  Barney 
was  constantly  on  the  alert,  and  more  than  once  he  had 
sprung  to  the  aid  of  some  half-drunken  workman  just 
in  time  to  save  him  from  injury  when  he  got  into  a 
dangerous  position  and  had  not  wit  enough  to  take  care 
of  himself.  Finally  Granny  secured  the  jug,  but  by 
that  time  it  was  as  empty  as  charity  at  a  charity  ball. 
By  the  time  the  noon  hour  arrived  the  house  was  about 
two-thirds  up,  and  the  work  was  beginning  to  go  better, 


266  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

because  one  jug  was  empty  and  the  other  had  been 
surreptitiously  removed  from  its  hiding-place  and 
smuggled  away. 

The  feast  of  the  day  was  ready  promptly  at  twelve 
o'clock,  and  the  hungry  men  sat  down  to  dinner  at  a 
long  table  made  of  boards  and  placed  in  the  shade. 
White  cloths  covered  the  rough  pine  boards,  and  great 
heaps  of  substantial  good  things  crowded  each  other 
from  one  end  to  the  other.  The  women  and  girls 
bustled  about  to  wait  upon  the  workers,  leaving  their 
own  repast  until  later. 

Apparently  all  thought  of  the  jug  had  been  dropped, 
but  as  the  men  returned  to  the  building,  on  their  way 
a  dozen  or  more  of  them  ranged  themselves  along  in 
front  of  Granny's  place,  and,  to  this  good  dame's  utter 
disgust,  demanded  the  article  they  sought.  She  argued 
with  them  for  a  while,  but  seeing  argument  useless,  she 
finally  produced  it — empty.  There  were  some  who,  for- 
getting that  this  was  just  its  condition  when  surrendered 
to  her,  accused  the  dear  old  soul  of  dealing  unfairly  with 
them.  However,  Red-Keg  being  only  a  few  miles  dis- 
tant, a  courier  was  despatched  with  the  jug  with  orders 
to  lose  no  time  in  getting  it  refilled  and  back  to  the 
place. 

The  sun  was  well  down  in  the  west  when  the  plates, 
or  finishing  logs,  were  to  be  put  into  their  places  to  form 
the  last  tier  upon  which  the  roof  was  to  rest.  In  order 
to  raise  these  heavy  logs,  longer  skids  were  employed, 
so  that  the  incline  should  not  be  so  steep.  As  before, 
two  ropes  were  fastened  at  the  top  of  the  building,  the 
lower  ends  were  placed  around  the  log  at  each  end,  and 
men  were  stationed  at  the  top  to  pull  on  the  ropes, 
while  others  remained  below  to  assist  in  the  lifting  as 
far  as  they  could  reach.  This  dangerous  work,  which 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  267 

called  for  clear  heads  and  steady  nerves,  was  undertaken 
by  men  some  of  whom  were  scarcely  able  to  stand  erect 
upon  the  ground,  so  demoralizing  had  been  the  effect 
of  the  fresh  supply  of  Pete's  "  Mystic  Brand."  Only 
those  who  had  refrained  from  indulgence  realized  the 
gravity  of  the  situation. 

When  the  last  log  had  been  lifted  and  pulled  to  a 
point  just  above  the  heads  of  the  men  below,  it  was  evi- 
dent that  the  weight  was  too  great  for  those  above  to 
master,  but  by  a  desperate  effort  they  succeeded  in 
pulling  it  up  still  farther. 

"  Boost  'er  up,  boys !  I  can't  hold  on  ter  this  rope 
much  longer ! "  bawled  out  Joe  Reon  at  the  top. 

"  Put  the  rope  'round  yer  waist,"  yelled  Tim  Under- 
wood from  below,  laughing  tipsily;  "then  ef  the  log 
comes  down,  you'll  hev  ter  come  with  it.  Haw,  haw ! " 

The  log  dropped  back  a  little  till  it  was  again  within 
reach  of  those  on  the  ground. 

"  Hurrah,  boys,  shove  'er  up ! "  shouted  Arch  Fel- 
lows, giving  it  a  boost,  and  away  went  that  end  of  the 
log,  while  the  other  end,  held  above  by  Sam  Hawkins, 
remained  stationary.  , 

This  left  the  log  in  a  most  dangerous  position,  and 
cool  heads  were  needed  to  avert  a  disaster,  but  the  men 
became  dazed,  and  the  danger  dawned  upon  their  sod- 
den minds  too  late. 

"  My  God !  boys,  what  are  ye  doin'  down  there  ? " 
yelled  Joe  Reon,  who  had  actually  tied  the  rope  around 
his  body  as  suggested,  and  was  now  struggling  with 
all  his  nerveless  strength  to  prevent  the  inevitable; 
"  I'm  fallin',  an'  the  top  log  is  comin'  with  me !  Look 
out!" 

Barney  and  Ros,  seeing  that  some  one  was  going  to 
get  hurt,  both  rushed  toward  the  spot  where  the  falling 


268  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

log  must  strike.  Barney  was  there  first,  with  quick 
brain  and  steady  nerve  taking  in  the  situation  at  a 
glance.  At  the  risk  of  his  own  life  he  pushed  two  men 
aside  who  would  have  been  struck  by  the  log  in  its  de- 
scent, and  then  dodging  under  it,  caught  the  man  who 
was  falling  just  in  time  to  save  him  from  striking  his 
head  on  a  sharp  pine  stump  near  by. 

Sam,  who  held  the  rope  at  the  other  end  of  the  log, 
braced  his  feet  securely  and  held  his  end  well  in  place, 
but  just  as  the  shout  went  up  at  the  daring  rescue  Bar- 
ney had  made,  Sam  suddenly  let  his  end  go,  which,  re- 
leased from  duress,  slid  like  lightning  down  the  skid 
just  as  Barney  was  passing  under  it  with  Joe  Reon  still 
in  his  arms. 

Every  one  supposed  that  the  log  was  secure  in  Sam's 
hands,  and  no  one  had  looked  for  it  to  fall.  But  No- 
rine,  who  had  been  watching  Barney's  every  move- 
ment, had  come  near  to  the  scene  unnoticed,  and  with 
quick  eye  she  saw  Sam  let  go  of  his  rope,  and  almost 
before  the  log  began  to  fall  she  screamed : 

"Barney,  quick,  jump  back!" 

Without  stopping  to  learn  the  reason,  Barney  obeyed 
his  sweetheart's  warning  instantly,  springing  backward 
close  to  the  wall  just  in  time  to  avoid  receiving  the 
whole  crushing  weight  of  the  log  upon  his  head. 

Ros  Whitmore  was  not  so  fortunate.  He  had  fol- 
lowed close  behind  Barney  at  the  first  sign  of  the  dan- 
ger. When  Barney  sprang  back,  Ros  attempted  to  do 
the  same,  but  he  stumbled  and  fell  to  the  ground.  The 
heavy  log  came  down  upon  his  right  leg  and  broke  the 
bone  below  the  knee. 

Meanwhile,  Sam  stood  above,  watching  the  scene 
below,  but  forgot  the  slack  of  the  rope,  which  he  had 
gathered  in  as  he  had  pulled  up  his  end  of  the  log,  and 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  269 

which  lay  in  loops  and  coils  about  his  feet.  As  the 
log  slid  down  the  skids  it  jerked  the  rope  with  it,  and 
the  slack  quickly  becoming  entangled  around  Sam's 
feet,  pulled  him  unceremoniously  from  his  position. 
No  one  was  there  to  help  him.  Barney  was  still  hold- 
ing to  Reon,  whom  he  had  the  instant  before  caught  in 
his  fall.  The  rest  were  rushing  to  help  Ros.  Sam 
struggled  for  a  brief  moment  to  release  himself  from 
the  ropes,  and  then,  with  a  yell  of  rage  and  terror,  came 
tumbling  down.  A  large  tub  of  mortar  for  filling  the 
chinks  between  the  logs  had  been  started  close  to  the 
wall  just  below  Sam.  The  lime  had  just  been  slaked, 
and  the  sand  was  ready  for  mixing.  Into  this  tub  Sam 
fell  headlong.  The  force  of  the  fall  was  broken,  but 
when  Sam  emerged  from  his  lime  bath  he  was  a  sight 
to  behold.  Sputtering,  and  spluttering,  and  howling, 
he  rushed  down  to  the  brook  near  by  and  jumped  in 
bodily,  and  began  at  once  the  task  of  cleaning  the  stuff 
out  of  his  eyes  and  mouth. 

A  part  of  the  crowd  followed,  forgetting  even  Ros's 
sad  injury  in  this  new  diversion,  and  the  more  Sam 
raved  and  swore,  the  more  the  spectators  laughed  and 
jeered,  for  Sam  was  generally  disliked  by  his  neigh- 
bors, and  they  did  not  hesitate  to  blame  him  for  his 
own  plight.  There  was  no  excuse,  they  said,  for  his 
letting  go  of  the  rope,  if  he  had  had  his  wits  about  him, 
and  that  was  the  least  that  could  be  said.  There  were 
some  who  said  nothing,  but  shook  their  heads  gravely 
and  turned  away. 

Barney  had  taken  Joe  Reon  to  Granny's  cabin,  where 
he  had  found  the  fellow  to  be  more  scared  than  hurt, 
and  then  he  hastened  to  look  after  Ros,  stopping  on 
the  way  to  see  if  Sam  had  been  injured.  When  he 
saw  the  fun  the  rest  were  having  at  Sam's  expense  he 


2;o  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

withdrew  to  Whitmore's  cabin,  whither  Ros  had  been 
carried.  Already  his  brave  and  energetic  wife  had 
stripped  the  injured  leg,  and,  with  the  help  of  Mother 
Hawkins  and  Parson  Allen,  was  preparing  splints  and 
bandages.  She  knew  just  what  to  do,  and  wasted  no 
time  in  useless  lamentations  or  complaints. 

"  It  is  a  very  unfortunate  interruption  of  Ros's  home- 
building,"  said  Allen  to  Barney,  quietly;  "but  we  may 
be  thankful  it  is  no  worse.  He  will  have  the  use  of 
his  leg  again  in  time  with  the  good  care  Jule  will  take 
of  it.  She  is  the  best  doctor  he  could  have." 

Barney  said  nothing  in  reply.  He  did  not  dare  to 
trust  himself,  and  the  sight  of  little  Tilly  Whitmore 
standing  by  her  father's  bed  and  holding  his  hand 
tightly  in  hers  while  the  big  tears  rolled  quietly  down 
her  pale,  agonized  little  face,  was  too  much  for  him 
altogether.  With  a  choking  sensation  in  his  throat,  he 
hurriedly  assured  Ros  that  he  would  see  to  finishing  the 
house,  and  that  Ros  needn't  worry,  and  then  broke  away 
from  the  painful  scene  and  went  back  to  the  work  outside. 

Sam  and  the  rest  of  the  men  soon  returned,  all  by 
this  time  being  pretty  well  sobered  up.  Barney  looked 
his  enemy  in  the  face  as  he  passed  him  and  saw  the 
demon  in  the  fellow's  eyes,  but  said  nothing.  Sam 
was  too  badly  bruised  to  resume  work,  and  after  a  short 
rest  started  for  home.  The  jug  went  around  no  more 
that  day. 

As  Barney  and  Norine  walked  home  together  after 
the  work  was  finished  and  the  sumptuous  supper 
eaten,  they  were  unusually  quiet.  After  walking  almost 
half  the  distance,  Norine,  unable  longer  to  keep  her 
dreadful  thought  to  herself,  exclaimed : 

"  Oh,  Barney !  That's  what  he  came  for.  He  did 
it  on  purpose.  I  saw  him " 


THE    MURE    SAM    RAVED   AND    SWORE,    THE    MORK    TIIK 
SPECTATORS    LAUGHED   AND   JEERHD. 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  271 

"  Hush,  darlint ! "  interrupted  Barney,  who  had  the 
same  conviction.  "  Ye  can't  be  sure.  Let's  not  think 
of  it.  Let's  talk  about  yer  own  swate  self." 

"And  imagine,"  she  continued,  in  only  half  obedi- 
ence, "you  thought  I  was  going  to  the  dance  with  hint." 

"Faith,  I'm  thinkin'  thet  was  quare  meself.  But 
he'll  not  be  there  at  all,  niver  fear,  an'  we  kin  have  our 
fun  better  without  him,  eh,  swateheart — thet  is,  ef  we 
can  have  any  fun  at  all  when  we'll  be  thinkin'  of  poor 
Ros  lyin'  home  with  a  broken  leg,  an'  his  little  mite  of 
a  girl  cryin'  her  swate  eyes  out  for  him — all  on  account 
of  thet— thet— hellynn  !  " 

Having  thus  relieved  a  part  of  his  pent-up  rage 
through  the  safety  valve  of  that  one  expressive  word, 
Barney  drew  Norine  closer  to  him,  and  spent  the  re- 
mainder of  the  time  in  trying  to  make  her  forget  every- 
thing except  himself  and  happiness. 


CHAPTER   XX 

A  DANCE  and  oyster  supper  at  Sixteen  was  always  an 
event  which  interested  all  the  lads  and  lasses  for  miles 
around.  To  miss  the  last  one  of  the  season  was  a  thing 
not  to  be  thought  of  by  any  rational  young  person  with 
nimble  feet  and  a  good  digestion.  The  settlement 
which  flourished  under  the  name  of  "Sixteen,"  taken 
from  the  number  of  the  township  in  which  it  was  lo- 
cated, was  about  twelve  miles  from  Red-Keg  and  nine 
miles  from  Farmer  Hawkins's — a  mere  "  stone's  throw  " 
for  the  active  young  lumbermen  and  farmers  and  their 
sweethearts.  The  festive  occasion  was  always  well  at- 
tended, and  fun  and  frolic  were  free  and  unrestrained. 
Barney  O'Boyle  was  to  be  master  of  ceremonies,  and 
he  and  Norine  had  been  looking  forward  to  the  even- 
ing with  more  pleasant  anticipation  than  ever  before. 
It  would  be  the  first  one  for  them  to  attend  since  the 
happy  understanding  between  them.  Barney  had  ob- 
tained Uncle  Si's  willing  permission  to  take  old  Rock 
and  the  buckboard  for  the  trip. 

Norine  came  over  early  from  the  Maloney  homestead 
"  fixed  up  "  for  the  occasion  and  looking  very  sweet  in 
her  holiday  finery.  Much  of  this  finery  was  saved  from 
last  year  and  skilfully  made  over,  but  that  was  a 
woman's  secret  which  others  need  not  know. 

Barney  had  carefully  groomed  Rock,  dusted  and  pol- 
ished up  the  buckboard,  and  arrayed  himself  in  a 
new  broadcloth  suit,  bought  for  the  occasion,  he  said, 

272 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  273 

but  others  thought  it  might  have  been  purchased  with 
an  eye  to  a  future  use.  Uncle  Si  was  to  bring  the 
rig  around  from  the  barn  when  the  young  people  were 
ready  to  start ;  but  suddenly,  while  they  were  waiting, 
they  heard  his  voice  calling  out  in  alarm : 

"  Barney,  Barney,  come  here  and  help  me  with  Rock. 
He's  sick,  an'  I'm  afraid  he  can't  be  taken  out." 

Hastening  to  the  barn,  he  found  that  Rock  was,  in- 
deed, a  sick  horse,  and  was  now  scarcely  able  to  stand 
on  his  legs. 

"  Poor  old  boy,  what's  ailin'  ye  ? "  exclaimed  Barney, 
as  he  stroked  the  horse's  neck,  which  was  covered  with 
a  cold  sweat. 

Rock  turned  his  dim  eyes  upon  Barney  with  a  lov- 
ing, piteous  appeal  for  help,  made  an  effort  to  lift  his 
head  and  rally  his  strength,  staggered  a  moment,  and 
then  fell  upon  the  barn  floor.  Before  anything  could 
be  done  for  him,  he  shivered  once  or  twice,  stretched 
out  his  limbs  convulsively,  and  was  dead. 

"  It's  very  strange.  He  was  all  right  this  afternoon," 
said  the  farmer,  wiping  away  the  suspicion  of  a  tear,  for 
good  old  Rock,  so  kind  and  gentle,  had  been  the  family 
horse  ever  since  they  came  to  the  farm,  and  had  be- 
come a  great  pet.  They  stood  for  some  time  looking 
down  mournfully  at  the  prostrate  body,  until  Uncle 
Si  asked  dubiously  i 

"  How  will  you  go  to  the  dance,  now,  Barney  ?  It  is 
a  good  nine  miles,  and  the  roads  are  bad  out  that  way. 
You  might  walk,  but  Norine  couldn't  think  of  it.  Poor 
child,  she'll  be  so  disappointed.  It's  too  bad.  Do  you 
suppose  you  could  get  along  with  the  oxen?  Why 
not  ?  They're  a  spry  team,  and  would  cover  the  ground 
almost  as  last  as  Rock  himself.  The  riding  wouldn't 
be  quite  so  easy,  of  course,  but  we  don't  seem  to  have 
18 


274  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

much  choice  now.  You  go  and  ask  Norine  while  I 
hitch  up.  It's  getting  late." 

Norine  at  first  was  scandalized  when  asked  to  go  to 
a  ball  in  an  ox-cart  with  all  her  finery,  but  Barney 
finally  persuaded  her  that  it  was  the  proper  and  only 
thing  to  do  in  such  an  emergency,  and  by  the  time 
Uncle  Si  came  around  with  the  big-eyed  and  gentle 
oxen,  the  couple  had  come  to  an  agreement  and  were 
again  awaiting  him. 

"You  remind  me  of  Priscilla  and  John  Alden," 
laughed  Mother  Hawkins,  coming  to  the  door  of  the 
farmhouse  to  see  the  young  couple  safely  off  in  their 
extemporized  pleasure  vehicle. 

"  Good-by,  Auntie  and  Uncle.  You're  very  good  to 
help  us  out  this  way,  though  it  seems  queer  to  go  to  a 
dance  in  an  ox-cart,"  said  Norine,  waving  her  handker- 
chief as  they  took  their  departure. 

There  was  certainly  something  incongruous  in  the 
combination  of  broadcloth  and  ribbons  with  a  rough  ox- 
cart and  heavy,  slow-going  oxen.  Even  Barney  felt  it 
as  he  urged  his  team  into  a  livelier  gait  after  leaving 
the  farm. 

"Git  along  there,  Bill;  gee,  Bright,  gee;  can't  ye 
hear?  I'll  be  after  givin'  ye  a  taste  o'  this  whip  ef 
ye  don't  kape  t'  th'  road  better'n  that.  Begorra,  did  ye 
iver  see  so  much  trouble  as  I'm  havin'  with  these  oxen  ? 
Sure,  they'll  make  me  lose  me  timper,  so  they  will," 
and  Barney  O'Boyle  sidled  closer  to  Norine,  and  encir- 
cling her  waist  with  his  arm,  explained  that  he  was 
afraid  she  would  fall  out  of  the  wagon  if  he  did  not 
hold  her  in. 

"  Oh,  you're  a  blarney,"  said  Norine,  coloring,  but 
making  no  effort  to  unfold  the  brawny  arm  from  around 
her. 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  275 

Before  long  they  were  travelling  over  a  very  rough 
and  winding  road,  one  which  had  been  used  by  lumber- 
men during  the  winter.  While  the  ground  was  covered 
with  snow  this  makeshift  became  a  pretty  fair  highway 
for  logging  purposes,  but  when  the  snow  and  ice  had 
melted,  and  the  road-bed  came  to  its  normal  condition, 
it  could  hardly  lay  claim  to  any  particular  merits  for 
pleasure  travel.  While  the  right  fore  wheel  of  a  vehi- 
cle might  be  on  a  protuberant  root,  the  left  one  very 
likely  would  be  down  in  a  rut,  throwing  the  conveyance 
somewhat  out  of  equilibrium.  In  some  places  the  right 
fore  wheel  of  a  wagon  would  be  up,  the  left  down,  the 
right  hind  wheel  down  and  the  left  up,  all  at  the  same 
time.  In  spite  of  it  all,  however,  Barney  and  Norine 
were  happy  and  in  the  best  of  spirits. 

"  Haw,  Bright ;  haw,  there ;  can't  ye  moind  ?  Haw 
— "  but  before  Barney  could  even  disengage  his  arm 
from  around  his  fair  companion,  to  steady  the  awk- 
ward team,  there  was  a  crash  and  a  spill — and  Norine 
felt  herself  flying  through  the  air  as  though  shot  from 
a  catapult. 

The  wagon  had  struck  one  of  the  "  bad  spots,"  and 
the  uncertainty  of  the  road,  together  with  Barney's  ex- 
cited vociferations,  had  frightened  the  oxen  till  they 
had  "  hawed  "  too  much,  and  the  "  nigh  "  wagon-wheel 
had  struck  a  root  nearly  opposite  the  one  ne  was  trying 
to  avoid  on  the  "  off  "  side. 

Norine  landed  a  few  feet  away  in  a  ditch  of  water, 
unharmed,  much  frightened,  and  very  wet.  Barney 
was  likewise  hors  du  combat  on  the  other  side  of  the 
road,  while  the  ox-team  took  it  into  their  heads  to  run, 
and  run  they  did. 

"Barney,  come  here,  quick — come  and  help  me," 
called  Norine,  bursting  into  tears,  partly  because  she 


276  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

was  frightened,  and  partly  because  her  pretty  clothes 
were  ruined,  and  the  prospects  of  a  good  time  at  the 
dance  were  rapidly  fading  away.  In  her  present  be- 
draggled condition  she  surely  could  not  put  in  an 
appearance  at  the  festivities. 

"  Where  are  ye,  Norine ;  are  ye  hurt  ? "  cried  Barney, 
disengaging  himself  from  a  clump  of  briers  into  which 
he  had  fallen. 

"  I'm  down  here  in  the  mud  and  water,  up  to  my 
neck ! "  replied  Norine  through  her  tears ;  "  and  if  you 
don't  hurry  I'll  soon  be  drowned.  It  was  bad  luck  for 
us  to  come  out  here  in  that  old  ox-cart." 

Barney's  clothes  were  torn  and  his  hands  and  face 
badly  lacerated  by  the  brambles  among  which  he 
had  fallen,  but  he  hastened  to  Norine  and  found 
her,  not  quite  "up  to  her  neck"  in  the  water;  but 
much  the  worse  for  her  immersion  in  the  shallow 
ditch,  and  too  much  frightened  to  help  herself  to 
dry  ground.  Barney  quickly  extricated  her  from  the 
mire,  and  as  he  did  so  she  exclaimed,  half  in  earnest 
and  half  in  play : 

"  You  said  you  wanted  to  protect  me  from  falling ; 
and  now  see  how  you  have  done  it.  Just  look  at  my 
clothes ! " 

"  While  ye're  spakin'  of  clothes,  look  at  mine ! "  said 
Barney,  by  way  of  apology. 

Up  to  this  time  Norine  had  not  noticed  Barney's 
condition,  but  when  she  beheld  him  by  the  light  of  the 
full  moon  just  rising,  her  own  plight  was  for  the  mo- 
ment forgotten  and  she  was  filled  with  alarm  and  sym- 
pathy for  her  companion.  He  was  a  fright!  His 
new  black  coat  was  torn  and  muddy;  he  was  minus 
his  hat ;  his  hair  was  tumbled,  his  face  and  hands  bleed- 
ing, and  a  woebegone  expression  overspread  his  coun- 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  277 

tenance,  as  he  stood  before  Norine,  and  began  to  real- 
ize all  that  had  come  to  them. 

"  What  iver  shall  we  do — "  began  Barney,  and  then 
he  suddenly  awoke  to  the  fact  that  his  team  was  run- 
ning away,  and  that  he  must  stop  it  quickly,  or  a  worse 
accident  might  happen.  Telling  Norine  to  wait  where 
she  was  for  a  moment,  and  that  he  would  be  back  im- 
mediately with  the  team  and  wagon  to  take  her  home 
for  dry  clothes,  he  started  up  the  road  on  a  run  after 
the  oxen. 

By  this  time  the  team  had  a  good  start,  and  the  usu- 
ally gentle  oxen  were  racing  madly.  The  rumble  of 
the  wagon  could  still  be  heard,  with  now  and  then  a 
crash  as  it  met  with  some  obstruction.  The  runaways 
were  nearing  a  strip  of  corduroy  about  half  a  mile  in 
length  which  had  been  laid  across  a  treacherous  swale. 
Unless  they  stopped  before  reaching  it  there  was 
scarcely  a  hope  that  either  the  oxen  or  wagon  could  be 
saved,  as  the  "  bridge  "  was  narrow,  and  in  their  mad 
rush  they  would  surely  go  off  into  the  mire  and  slime 
of  the  lagoon,  which  meant  certain  death,  because  they 
would  quickly  sink  out  of  sight.  Barney  realized  all 
this  as,  with  fear  tugging  at  his  heart,  he  bounded  up 
the  road  at  his  topmost  speed. 

"  Whoa,  Bright !  whoa  Bill !  whoa !  "  rent  the  air  as 
he  fairly  flew  over  the  uneven  road.  Strewn  along  the 
way  were  evidences  of  the  wreck  the  cattle  were  mak- 
ing of  the  wagon, — first  the  wagon-box,  then  one  wheel, 
then  another,  and  it  was  soon  apparent  that  all  four 
wheels  had  gone ;  but  all  the  more  desperately  Barney 
sped  on,  determined  to  capture  the  two  oxen  if  possi- 
ble, and  whatever  salvage  remained  of  the  cart. 

He  reasoned  that  the  yoke  and  chain  might  still  be 
intact,  even  if  the  vehicle  had  been  so  rudely  scattered. 


278  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

He  was  nearing  the  runaways  at  every  bound,  but  at 
the  same  time  they  were  nearing  the  corduroy.  An 
instant  later  he  heard  their  hoofs  and  dangling  chain 
clattering  and  clanking  over  the  loose  logs.  He  re- 
doubled his  efforts  to  reach  them  before  it  was  too  late. 
Arriving  at  the  opening  he  saw  his  quarry  only  a  little 
distance  ahead,  each  ox  making  a  crazy  effort  to  crowd 
the  other  off  the  narrow  bridge  into  the  water.  They 
were  bellowing  now  with  fright  and  fatigue,  but  kept 
on  in  their  wild  career.  The  middle  of  the  bridge  was 
reached,  and  Barney  was  almost  upon  them. 

"Whoa,  Bright,  whoa!  back,  Bill,  back!  haw, 
Bright — "  He  was  cut  short.  The  hook  of  the  chain 
had  caught  in  one  of  the  cross  logs  of  the  "bridge," 
and,  before  he  knew  what  had  happened,  he  was  hurled 
headlong  into  the  swale — chain,  logs,  cattle,  and  all  in  a 
frightful  mix-up. 

It  so  chanced  that  a  loosened  log  landed  near  by,  and 
as  he  gathered  his  few  remaining  senses  he  instinctively 
clutched  at  it,  and  before  his  feet  became  inextricably  im- 
bedded in  the  bog,  he  crawled  upon  its  friendly  side .  He 
had  been  hurled  head  first,  however,  and  was  covered 
with  mud  and  ooze  from  head  to  feet.  His  first  thought 
was  for  his  own  safety,  so  he  proceeded  at  once  to  se- 
cure it.  Reaching  the  corduroy,  he  climbed  up,  and 
then  looked  around  for  his  dumb  charges.  They  had 
disappeared  in  the  lagoon,  and  a  few  bubbles  on  the 
water  alone  indicated  the  spot  where  they  went  down. 

Barney  was  at  his  wit's  end  to  know  what  step  to 
take  next.  In  the  excitement  of  the  last  few  moments 
he  had  forgotten  all  about  Norine,  whom  he  had  left 
standing  in  the  road  nearly  a  mile  back. 

He  was  nearly  distracted  with  the  course  events  had 
taken.  The  wagon  had  been  smashed  to  smithereens, 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  279 

and  the  team  of  oxen  were  at  the  bottom  of  Stur- 
geon Slough.  He  was  in  a  great  dilemma.  He  could 
not  think  of  going  on  to  the  dance,  and  he  was  ashamed 
to  face  Uncle  Si.  How  could  he  explain  such  a  dire 
calamity  ?  How  would  Farmer  Hawkins  feel  at  losing 
his  horse  and  his  ox-team,  both  in  the  same  evening  ? 

Barney  gazed  wistfully  at  the  murky  water  where 
the  team  had  gone  down.  Mechanically  he  turned  his 
footsteps  toward  the  spot  where  he  had  left  Norine  so 
abruptly.  As  he  passed  one  by  one  the  pieces  of 
wreckage  strewn  along  the  way  he  was  filled  with  sor- 
row and  dismay.  He  could  scarcely  realize  the  havoc 
wrought  in  so  short  a  time.  The  wreck  was  complete. 

Nearing  the  spot  where  he  had  left  Norine  standing 
he  came  suddenly  to  a  realization  that  something  else 
was  wrong.  She  was  nowhere  to  be  seen,  and  repeated 
calls  failed  to  get  a  response.  He  was  nonplussed. 
Perhaps  she  had  been  injured  by  her  fall,  and  had 
crawled  away  from  the  road  and  become  unconscious. 
Again  and  again  the  woods  resounded  with  his  calls. 
He  begged  and  implored  her  to  answer  if  she  were 
near,  but  not  a  sound  broke  the  stillness  of  the  night 
in  response.  He  was  some  five  miles  from  home  and 
about  four  miles  from  the  settlement  of  Sixteen.  Help 
was  nowhere  at  hand.  The  poor  fellow  was  almost 
crazed  by  grief.  He  scoured  the  woods  round  about  in 
a  vain  effort  to  find  the  lost  girl.  Once  he  thought  he 
heard  a  faint  call  for  help,  but  when  he  stopped  to  listen 
he  could  hear  nothing,  and  was  filled  with  apprehension. 

While  Barney  was  somewhat  deficient  in  "school 
larnin '  "  he  was  a  good  deal  of  a  philosopher.  He  saw 
that,  direful  as  the  incidents  of  the  evening  had  been, 
the  issue  must  be  met,  and  the  sooner  Uncle  Si  and 
the  rest  became  acquainted  with  the  facts,  the  better  it 


280  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

would  be  for  all  concerned.  He  therefore  decided  to 
return  home  with  all  haste,  thinking,  also,  that  he  might 
find  Norine  there,  or,  perhaps,  would  overtake  her  on 
the  way.  Hoping  against  hope,  he  started  on  a  run 
for  the  home  of  Farmer  Hawkins,  but  saw  nothing 
of  Norine  on  the  way,  and  his  heart  was  sinking  within 
him  when  he  opened  the  door  of  the  farmhouse.  The 
peace  and  quiet  that  reigned  within  told  him  at  once 
that  Norine  had  not  arrived  there.  Farmer  Hawkins 
sat  in  his  comfortable  arm-chair,  and  Mother  Hawkins 
was  near  by,  busy  with  a  basket  of  patchwork.  Nero, 
the  house-dog,  was  lazily  stretched  out  on  the  floor  at 
his  master's  feet,  and  Maltese  Tabby  was  playing  hide- 
and-seek  with  her  brood  of  youngsters,  assisted  by  a 
spool  of  thread  which  had  dropped  from  her  mistress's 
basket. 

As  the  door  burst  open  and  Barney  appeared,  great 
consternation  at  once  prevailed.  The  huge  mastiff  rose 
suddenly  and  made  a  rush  for  the  supposed  intruder. 
He  was  never  friendly  toward  tramps,  and  his  well- 
known  antipathy  kept  the  farm  free  from  trespassers 
of  that  sort. 

"  Nero,  lie  down  there !  Aren't  you  ashamed  of  your- 
self acting  so  hastily,"  Uncle  Si  said,  commandingly. 

"Sakes  alive,  that's  Barney!  What  on  earth  has 
happened  to  you?  Where's  Norine?"  cried  Mother 
Hawkins,  dropping  her  patchwork  over  the  floor  as  she 
hastened  to  meet  Barney.  She  was  trembling  with 
excitement  and  alarm. 

Breathlessly,  Barney  stammered  out  his  woeful  story. 
The  farmer  and  his  wife  listened  in  amazement  and 
sympathy,  but  when  he  came  to  the  disappearance  of 
Norine,  Mother  Hawkins  could  bear  no  more. 

"  Josiah,  you  go  down  to  the  village  and  rouse  the 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  281 

neighbors  just  as  quick  as  you  can.  Maybe  my  poor 
little  girl  is  dying  out  there  in  the  woods.  Don't  lose 
a  minute.  Barney,  get  on  some  dry  clothes  and  come 
with  me,"  she  said,  almost  hysterically. 

"  Now,  Mother,  you  can't  go  out  there  in  the  night," 
protested  Farmer  Hawkins.  "  You  haven't  been  feel- 
ing well  for  a  month  past.  It  would  be  too  much  for 
you.  I'll  get  all  the  men  I  can.  You  stay  here  and 
wait  for  us." 

"  I  can't  stay  here,"  exclaimed  Mother  Hawkins.  "  I 
must  be  doing  something  for  the  dear  child.  Perhaps 
I'll  go  down  and  keep  her  mother  company.  She'll  be 
nearly  crazy  with  anxiety." 

"That's  just  the  thing,"  agreed  Josiah.  "Hurry, 
Barney,  we'll  all  go  together  and  leave  Mother  at  the 
Maloneys  while  we  go  on  to  rouse  the  neighbors.  Has 
Sam  been  home  to-night,  Mother  ? " 

"  He  came  in  about  six  o'clock  and  went  to  his  room 
complaining  of  a  headache  and  said  he  was  going  to 
bed  and  didn't  want  to  be  disturbed,"  replied  Mother 
Hawkins. 

Josiah  hurried  to  Sam's  room  and  quickly  returned, 
saying  that  Sam  was  not  there  and  his  bed  had  not 
been  touched. 

"  That's  strange ;  I  wonder  where  he  can  be,"  said  his 
mother,  half  conscious  of  a  vague  disquiet  in  her  heart. 

"  It's  hard  to  say,  but  he'll  turn  up  as  usual  when  it 
pleases  him,"  replied  Josiah  with  a  sigh;  then,  as  Bar- 
ney returned  in  his  working  clothes,  and  Mother  Haw- 
kins threw  a  thick  shawl  over  her  head  and  shoulders, 
he  called  to  Nero,  and  they  all  started  down  the  road 
toward  Red-Keg. 

Norine's  mother  was  almost  prostrated  with  grief 
and  anxiety,  and  was  bent  upon  starting  out  at  once 


282  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

with  the  searchers,  but  cooler  judgment  prevailed  and 
she  was  persuaded  to  remain  with  Mother  Hawkins 
while  the  men  searched  for  the  lost  girl. 

In  a  marvellously  short  time  Farmer  Hawkins,  John 
Maloney,  and  Barney,  going  in  different  directions,  had 
gathered  a  party  of  twenty  men,  with  half  as  many 
vehicles.  The  younger  men  were  away  at  the  dance; 
but  Barney  was  overjoyed  and  not  a  little  surprised  to 
find  Tom  Moore  at  home,  and  ready  to  accompany  him 
on  the  instant.  Big  Pete  Murray,  who  would  have 
been  an  invaluable  addition  to  the  party,  had  gone  with 
his  wife  and  his  two  daughters  to  the  dance.  Robert 
Allen  had  gone  to  Midland  that  morning  to  visit  the 
schoolmaster,  who  was  recovering  from  his  injury  in 
the  rollway. 

The  moon  was  rising  high  in  the  heavens  when  the 
searching  party,  with  lanterns  and  torches,  arrived  at 
the  spot  where  the  search  was  to  begin.  A  signal  was 
agreed  upon  to  be  used  if  any  of  the  searchers  were 
successful.  Repeated  shouts  had  failed  to  bring  any 
response.  Nero  was  alert.  He  ran  around  and  around 
the  spot  where  Norine  was  last  seen,  and  then  started 
off  into  the  jungle,  baying  loudly  as  he  went.  He  was 
evidently  on  the  trail.  On  and  on  he  went,  further  and 
further  into  the  dense  forest,  till  at  last  his  baying  was 
lost  in  the  distance,  even  to  those  leading  the  party. 

The  brambles  and  briers  were  playing  havoc  with  the 
clothing  of  the  searchers.  But  that  they  were  on  the 
right  trail  there  was  no  doubt,  for  here  and  there  were 
found  fragments  of  Norine's  dress  hanging  to  the  briers 
which  had  torn  them  off  as  she  went  along.  Tom 
Moore  and  Barney  were  in  the  lead,  and  when  the  bay- 
ing of  the  mastiff  ceased  to  reach  their  ears  they  hung 
to  the  trail  just  the  same.  The  thought  uppermost  in 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  283 

Barney's  mind  was  that  the  girl  had  been  bereft  of  her 
reason  through  fright  and  had  fled  through  this  terri- 
ble thicket  not  knowing  whither.  The  woods  were  in- 
fested with  wild  animals  and  he  dreaded  lest  she  might 
have  been  torn  to  pieces. 

After  a  half  hour  in  the  woods  the  moon  was  sud- 
denly hidden  by  heavy  clouds,  and  soon  a  drenching 
shower  added  to  the  discomforts  and  difficulties  of  the 
search,  and  to  the  fears  for  Norine.  The  route  the 
mastiff  had  taken  led  deeper  into  the  forest,  away  from 
habitations  of  any  kind  and  into  the  dense  woods  where 
but  few  feet  had  ever  trod ;  now  across  a  tamarack 
swamp,  now  over  ugly  swales  and  watercourses  filled 
to  their  brims  by  the  spring  rains  and  swollen  by  the 
present  downpour. 

The  leaders  at  length  reached  a  lagoon  too  deep  to 
ford,  a  branch  of  the  treacherous  Sturgeon  Slough.  In 
the  mud  on  its  margin  they  discovered  recent  tracks — 
those  of  a  woman  and  a  man,  or  men.  There  appeared 
to  be  two.  Intermingled  with  these  were  the  foot- 
prints of  a  dog,  which  our  searchers  concluded  were 
made  by  Nero.  The  latter  were  quite  fresh,  but  the 
former  had  become  nearly  obliterated  by  the  rain. 

Tom  Moore,  who  was  an  experienced  trailer,  was 
much  encouraged  by  this  find,  but  was  considerably 
puzzled  as  to  the  identity  of  the  companion  or  compan- 
ions of  Norine,  and  why  she  had  companions.  They 
were  not  made  by  the  hobnailed  boots  of  a  lumberman. 
Who,  then,  did  make  them,  and  why  had  they  come  to 
this  dismal  and  out-of-the-way  place  ?  Might  it  not  be 
possible  that  the  tracks  were  made  at  different  times  ? 
No;  for  here,  as  Tom  pointed  out,  after  examining 
them  closely  by  the  light  of  the  torches,  were  the  men's 
tracks  over  the  woman's,  and  a  little  farther  on  the 


284  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

woman's  tracks  over  the  men's,  showing  clearly  that 
they  must  have  been  made  by  parties  who  were  to- 
gether. No  evidences  of  a  struggle  were  apparent. 

This  muddy  shore  extended  for  some  distance  to  the 
left,  and  had  been  followed  by  the  fugitives  for  its  full 
length.  It  ended  near  a  large,  overhanging  rock. 
When  this  was  reached  the  footprints  were  plainly 
visible,  as  here  they  had  been  protected  from  the  wash- 
ing influence  of  the  rain. 

"  Shoot  me  ef  one  of  them  boot-tracks  warn't  made 
by  Sam  Hawkins ! "  ejaculated  Tom,  eyeing  the  ground 
closely.  "  Here's  his  mark  plain  es  the  nose  on  my 
face — a  star  on  the  heel !  No  one  else  es  I  know  of 
hes  one  like  it.  Old  John  Harding,  the  shoemaker, 
put  it  there  only  t'other  day.  What  on  airth  could  ha' 
brought  him  out  here  with  that  gal  ?  There's  ben  ugly 
rumors  about  him  an'  thet  gang  o'  his'n  lately,  an' 
mebbe  we're  on  their  trail.  Ef  thet's  the  case,  Barney, 
we  must  go  back  for  reinforcements.  Them  devils 
may  be  up  to  suthin',  an'  we'd  be  no  match  fer  'em 
alone.  Norine  Maloriey  never  kem  out  here  of  her 
own  free  will  and  accord.  She's  ben  brought  forcibly, 
no  doubt,  afraid  of  her  life.  By  thunder !  here's  her 
handkerchief,  still  wet  with  the  poor  gal's  tears,  thrown 
down  under  this  rock  fer  us  ter  find,"  went  on  big  Tom, 
excitedly.  "  I  tell  ye  she  ain't  fer  away,  nuther." 

Barney  was  trembling  like  a  leaf.  The  thoughts 
suggested  by  Tom,  and  the  finding  of  Norine's  hand- 
kerchief in  this  wild  spot  were  almost  too  much  for 
his  self-control.  He  gasped  a  moment  as  if  in  mortal 
pain. 

"  Give  me  that  handkerchief,  Tom,"  he  said  huskily, 
and  thrust  the  dainty  bit  of  cambric  into  his  bosom. 
"  Be  the  powers  of  hivin,  Tom,  let  us  kape  on  till  we 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  285 

find  her.  Begorra,  it's  me  own  doin's  entirely  as  brought 
her  here,  and  we  must  find  her  or  die  in  the  attimpt ! " 

The  two  were  now  far  in  the  lead.  In  fact,  Tom 
and  Barney  seemed  to  be  the  only  ones  who  had  kept 
to  the  trail.  The  rest  had  wandered  off  in  different 
directions,  scouring  the  woods  around  the  spot  where 
Norine  was  last  seen. 

"  Jest  es  ye  say,  Barney ;  but  we're  not  very  fer  from 
the  dancers  at  Sixteen,  an'  we  might  run  over  there  an' 
git  some  help.  These  devils,  whoever  they  be,  are 
desperit,  else  they  wouldn't  ha'  sperited  a  gal  off  like 
thet,  let  me  tell  ye ;  an'  like  es  not  her  safety,  her  life 
mebbe,  depends  on  us  meetin*  'em  with  a  superior 
force.  I  ain't  ben  runnin*  'round  an'  scourin'  this  neck 
o'  woods  the  last  twenty  years  fer  nuthin' ;  an'  sure's 
preachin'  this  is  one  o'  them  times  when  discretion'll 
prove  the  better  part  of  valor,  an'  don't  you  fergit  it. 
Still,  Barney,  old  boy,  ef  ye  say  forrard,  forrard's  the 
word,  even  though  we  meet  Old  Nick  hisself,"  and 
Tom  looked  inquiringly  at  his  companion. 

"  Sure,  Tom,  ye're  a  better  gin'ral  then  I  am,  so  do 
as  ye  think  best ;  but  fer  the  love  of  hivin,  don't  let  us 
make  no  mistakes,"  rejoined  Barney,  submissively; 
then  he  added,  "What  on  airth  has  become  o'  thet 
dawg?  He's  gone  entirely." 

It  was  now  nearly  midnight.  The  rain  had  ceased 
falling,  and  the  men  could  make  better  progress.  They 
climbed  upon  the  rock  under  which  they  had  been 
standing  and  soon  reached  a  sand  ridge  which  was  quite 
free  from  underbrush,  and  then  made  their  way  along 
as  rapidly  as  possible.  Although  this  spot  was  fully 
three  miles  back  from  any  road,  and  no  nearer  to  any 
farmhouse  or  even  lumber-camp,  the  two  men  were 
surprised  to  see  that  there  was  a  beaten  path  here, 


286  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

which  started  from  the  edge  of  this  lagoon,  and  ex- 
tended back  toward  what  were  known  as  the  burnt 
sand-hills.  As  soon  as  Tom  made  this  discovery  he 
told  Barney  to  put  out  his  light  and  move  with  great 
caution.  The  ridge  they  were  traversing  intersected 
another  at  the  foot  of  the  slough,  and  the  latter  could 
be  followed  up  till  it  reached  the  settlement  of  Six- 
teen. At  this  intersection,  the  trail  they  had  been  fol- 
lowing branched  off  toward  the  hills.  The  moon  had 
now  come  out  again  in  all  its  beauty  and  the  night 
became  as  bright  as  day.  They  noted  well  the  spot 
and  then  hastened  in  the  direction  of  Sixteen.  On  the 
way  they  unexpectedly  fell  in  with  Jake  Vogel  and  Dan 
Underbill,  who  also  had  become  separated  from  the 
main  party  and  had  come  around  by  a  shorter  route. 
Barney  was  for  turning  back  at  once,  urging  that  four 
were  enough;  but  Tom,  whispering  to  him  to  say 
nothing  of  their  suspicions,  merely  explained  to  the 
others  that  they  were  on  the  track  of  a  party  which 
might  offer  resistance  and  that  as  Sixteen  was  so  near 
it  would  be  wise  to  get  assistance  when  they  could. 
Jake  and  Dan  approved  of  this  plan,  so  they  pushed  on 
without  further  delay 


CHAPTER    XXI 

"  LADIES  give  right  hands  across,  don't  get  lost,  be 
on  time ;  the  left  hand  back  and  don't  be  slack — bal- 
ance four  in  a  line,"  sang  out  the  first  violin,  whose 
calling  could  be  heard  across  the  fields  through  an  open 
window. 

No  sooner  had  that  set  been  finished  than  a  call  for 
an  "  Old  Mrs.  Finnegan  "  quadrille  was  heard. 

"  Right  ye  are ! "  cried  big  Pete  Murray,  who  was 
acting  as  floor  manager  until  the  arrival  of  Barney. 
"  Form  on  for  *Old  Mrs.  Finnegan.' " 

In  a  twinkling  the  floor  was  again  filled  and  the  music 
set  agoing  for  this  rollicking  dance. 

"Salute  yer  pardners.  Lefi-hand  around  for  Old 
Mrs.  Finnegan.  You've  done  it  so  well  you  may  do  it 
agin,  agin!  Forward  all  for  Old  Mrs.  Finnegan. 
You've  done  it  so  well  you  may  do  it  agin,  agin !  Bal- 
ance all  for  Old  Mrs.  Finnegan.  You've  done  it  so 
well  you  may  do  it  agin,  agin !  Allemand  left  for  Old 
Mrs.  Finnegan.  You've  done  it  so  well  you  may  do  it 
agin,  agin !  Grand  right-and-left  for  Old  Mrs.  Finne- 
gan. You've  done  it  so  well  you  may  do  it  agin,  agin ! " 

Another  set  was  ready  and  waiting  to  claim  the  floor 
the  instant  "  Old  Mrs.  Finnegan  "  ended  in  a  burst  of 
laughter.  The  good-natured  fiddlers  swung  into  a  new 
tune  with  scarcely  a  break. 

"  First  lady  lead  up  to  the  right ;  gent  follow  after. 
Balance  all ;  swing  'em  around,"  came  in  the  regulation 
sing-song  fashion  from  Dave  Martin,  who  handled  the 

287 


288  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

bow  on  the  first  violin.  "  Allemand  left ;  grand  right- 
and-left.  Swing  on  the  corner,"  he  bawled  out  in  sten- 
torian tones. 

It  was  a  jolly,  rollicking  crowd  that  had  gathered  at 
Sixteen  in  the  only  "  ball-room  "  there.  An  extension 
of  the  tavern,  used  ordinarily  as  a  dormitory  for  lum- 
bermen, now  cleared  of  the  bunks  and  furnished  with 
a  row  of  benches  placed  around  all  sides  of  the  room 
except  on  the  end  where  the  "  fiddlers "  were  located 
— this  was  the  ball-room. 

The  orchestra  consisted  of  first  and  second  violin  and 
a  bass  viol.  The  veteran  lumber-camp  fiddler,  Jose, 
fat  and  jolly,  handled  the  second  fiddle,  and  Arch  Fel- 
lows the  bass  viol.  Their  repertoire  included  jigs, 
quicksteps,  breakdowns,  waltzes,  schottisches,  galops, 
etc.,  in  great  profusion.  While  in  many  respects  the 
music  was  crude,  it  was  remarkable  how  well  some  of 
those  lumbermen  could  render  the  popular  airs  of  the 
day  merely  by  ear.  Their  remuneration  depended  upon 
the  generosity  of  the  dancers,  who  were  expected  to 
"  chip  in  "  when  the  hat  was  passed.  A  rough  plat- 
form, consisting  of  loose  boards  placed  upon  several 
beer  kegs,  lifted  the  musicians  above  the  crowd.  They 
were  further  honored  by  being  supplied  with  chairs — 
the  only  ones  in  the  place. 

On  the  present  occasion,  the  dance  was  unusually 
well  attended.  The  people  came  in  all  sorts  of  convey- 
ances, from  horseback  to  ox-carts.  Some  arrived  on 
foot  from  distant  points.  There  was  no  formality.  The 
party  was  made  up  of  all  classes,  from  the  shantyman 
who  was  '*  decent "  to  the  boss  lumberman  and  well-to- 
do  farmer.  Some  came  as  far  as  twenty  miles  in  order 
to  take  part  in  the  hop  which  celebrated  the  wind-up  of 
a  prosperous  logging  season.  Even  some  of  the  older 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  289 

people  thought  it  not  out  of  place  to  be  on  hand,  and 
several  gray -haired  men  and  women  were  there  to  "  trip 
the  light  fantastic  toe."  Ashbel  Fair,  "  Babe  "  Stran- 
der,  Rodney  Bedell,  and  Bud  Frazer  had  come  seven- 
teen miles  from  Midland  and,  with  Grat  Vogel,  ruled 
the  younger  element.  Pete  Murray,  with  his  wife  Kate 
and  his  two  buxom  girls  Katie  and  Sally,  Bob  Land- 
seer  and  his  wife  Hetty,  Ned  Blakely  and  his  wife 
Becky,  Tim  Underwood  and  Joe  Reon  were  among  the 
Red-Keggers  present.  Sevvard  Rathaway  had  brought 
his  cousin  Lettie,  who,  in  turn,  had  persuaded  Axcy 
Marthy,  with  some  difficulty,  to  go  with  them,  insist- 
ing that  the  unhappy  events  at  the  rollway  should  not 
keep  her  from  the  dance,  and  that  if  she  stayed  away  it 
would  only  make  people  talk. 

Any  of  these  events  would  be  out  of  tune  unless 
Barney  O'Boyle  had  a  hand  in  it.  His  presence  often 
prevented  melees  which  might  have  proved  disastrous. 
His  cool  counsel  and  fearless  ways  gathered  around 
him  enough  of  the  peaceable  participants  to  resist  the 
troublesome  or  boisterous  ones.  Whether  the  dance  was ' 
held  at  Red-Keg,  Sixteen,  Beaverton,  or  any  other  place 
in  the  circuit,  he  was  expected  to  be  there.  He  seldom 
brought  a  companion,  for  he  was  too  bashful  to  ask  any 
of  the  girls,  so  this  time,  when  it  was  known  that  No- 
rine  was  to  come  with  him,  all  his  friends  were  on  the 
qui  vive. 

The  ball-room  was  barely  large  enough  for  two  sets 
in  a  quadrille ;  even  then  it  was  difficult  to  keep  to 
one's  own  set.  The  two  sets  would  frequently  get 
mixed  in  spite  of  all.  This,  however,  merely  gave  zest 
to  the  occasion,  and  added  to  the  general  hilarity.  The 
quadrille  just  finished  had  been  one  of  the  preliminary 
sets  not  on  the  regular  order,  put  on  to  give  the  musi- 
19 


290  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

cians  opportunity  to  "  limber  up  "  for  the  regular  pro- 
gram which  would  begin  upon  the  arrival  of  Barney. 
All  knew  that  he  had  a  long  way  to  come,  so  they  did 
not  look  for  him  very  early ;  but  as  the  minutes  flew 
by  until  an  hour  had  passed,  and  still  no  Barney,  there 
was  much  "  reckoning "  as  to  what  was  delaying  him. 
When  nine  o'clock  came,  Dave  laid  down  his  fiddle 
and,  after  a  brief  consultation  with  Pete  Murray,  an- 
nounced that  they  would  wait  just  half  an  hour  longer 
for  Barney ;  if  he  did  not  come  by  then  the  regular 
program  would  be  taken  up  with  Pete  Murray  as  mas- 
ter of  the  evening.  Thereupon  the  entire  party  was 
given  up  to  a  discussion  of  the  failure  of  Barney  and 
Norine  to  appear.  The  windows  of  the  whole  house 
were  open,  and  eyes  were  at  each  looking  down  the 
only  street  in  the  direction  from  which  the  delinquents 
should  arrive. 

"  Guess  him  an'  Norine  got  sparkin'  on  the  way  an' 
fergot  ter  keep  the  old  horse  movin',"  speculated  Bob 
Landseer,  as  he  turned  away  from  the  window,  "  I  re- 
member one  night  when  me  an'  Hetty  was  goin'  to 
church,  our  nag  stopped,  an'  first  we  knew  of  it  was 
when  somebody  comin'  home  from  church  hollered  to 
us  ter  git  outer  the  road.  I  says  ter  Het " 

The  rest  of  his  story  was  suppressed  by  the  firm 
hand  of  Hetty  herself  clapped  over  his  mouth,  while  a 
shout  of  laughter  greeted  the  yarn  and  its  interruption. 

"  Wai,  I'll  tell  ye  what  I  heard  about  a  week  ago, 
though  I  don't  take  no  stock  in  it,"  said  Ned  Blakely. 
"  It  may  not  have  anythin'  ter  do  with  Barney,  an'  I'd 
clean  fergot  it  till  jest  now,  but  I  did  hear  a  rumor  thet 
ole  Bloag's  gang  o*  shanty  men,  with  Red  Lampheer  at 
their  head,  was  talkin'  about  comin'  down  here  to  clean 
us  out,  'cause  they  didn't  git  no  invites.  I  haint  heard 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  291 

nothin'  more  sence,  an'  I  reckon  they  ain't  nothin'  in 
it,  but  then  agin,  mebbe  they  is." 

Ned's  statement  made  a  decided  sensation,  and  a 
dozen  voices  immediately  demanded  to  know  who  was 
his  informant. 

"Es  near  es  I  can  remember,  'twas  Bob  Simons, 
down  at  Pete's  place,"  replied  Ned.  "  He  said  Lam- 
pheer  hed  been  there  to  git  whiskey,  an'  raised  ruc- 
tions about  the  invites." 

"  Now  ye  spake  of  it,  it  strikes  me  I  heard  thet  same 
thing,"  declared  Pete  Murray ;  "  but  let  'em  try  it  on ; 
bedad,  they'll  be  more  ructions  raised  than  Red  an'  his 
hull  drunken  crew  kin  take  care  of  in  a  week." 

Although  the  belief  was  general  that  no  such  attack 
would  be  made,  it  was  deemed  wise  to  despatch  a  scout 
to  reconnoitre.  Steve  Billings,  the  chore-boy  at  the 
tavern,  was  assigned  to  this  task  and  promised  suitable 
payment  if  he  "kept  his  eyes  peeled." 

It  was  now  half-past  nine  o'clock.  Pete  Murray  an- 
nounced that  the  dancing  would  be  resumed  without 
waiting  any  longer  for  Barney  and  Norine,  so  Dave 
Martin,  Jose,  and  Arch  Fellows  vaulted  to  their  places 
on  the  orchestra  platform  and  reopened  the  ball  with  a 
varsouvienna. 

"  Dance  a  leetle,  dance  a  leetle,  and  now  you  stop 
still ;  dance  a  leetle,  dance  a  leetle,  and  now  you  stop 
still.  Tra  la,  la,  la,  la !  Tra  la,  la,  la,  la !  Tra  la,  la, 
la,  la !  Tra  la,  la,  la,  la ! "  he  sang  out  in  unison  with 
the  music.  A  "  Nelly  Gray  "  schottische  followed,  and 
then  a  Virginia  reel.  In  other  parts  of  the  house 
games  were  started, — spin  the  platter,  blind  man's  buff, 
button,  button,  who  want's  to  buy  lead  ?  The  fun  in- 
creased. All  thought  of  interruption  and  disappoint- 
ment was  forgotten. 


292  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

About  half-past  ten  supper  was  announced,  and  a 
scramble  ensued  for  seats,  each  man  taking  the  lady 
nearest  to  him  as  the  one  he  would  escort  to  the  table, 
in  lieu  of  his  regular  partner.  The  supper  was  soon  at 
its  height,  all  hands  discussing  the  bounteous  repast 
with  a  relish  born  of  good  appetites.  The  dining-room 
rang  with  jest  and  laughter.  Suddenly  the  door  was 
flung  open  and  Steve  Billings  rushed  in  panting  for 
breath,  his  eyes  bulging  from  their  sockets. 

"They're  comin' ! "  he  yelled,  hardly  able  to  get  the 
words  out,  so  great  was  his  excitement. 

"  Who's  comin'  ?  Barney  an'  Norine  ? "  demanded 
Pete  Murray,  imperatively,  at  the  same  time  springing 
to  his  feet. 

"The  shantymen!"  cried  Steve.  "They're  'bout 
half  a  mile  up  the  road — more'n  forty  of  'em— drunker' n 
owls.  They're  stoppin'  fer  somethin' — I  got  near  'em 
by  sneakin'  through  the  woods  the  other  side  the  road. 
They  was  fightin'  an'  yellin' — an'  swearin'  to  tear  the 
roof  off  the  tavern — an'  whale  every  son  of  a  gun  ter 
death  what  sassed  'em  or  tried  ter  stop  'em." 

Steve  panted  out  his  sentences  in  short  bits,  trem- 
bling the  while  with  fear,  excitement,  and  a  sense 
of  his  own  importance  at  being  the  bearer  of  such 
sensational  news.  At  once  the  room  was  in  an 
uproar,  all  trying  to  speak  at  once  to  ask  questions, 
give  advice,  threaten,  joke,  or  sneer.  Above  the  din, 
Pete  Murray's  voice  was  presently  heard  calling  for 
silence. 

"  Boys ! "  he  said  in  a  quiet,  commanding  tone,  "  we 
mustn't  be  after  losin'  time  in  talk.  We've  got  ter 
move  lively  an'  git  this  shanty  ready  ter  defend  agin 
them  barbarians.  Listen  ter  me  an*  do  as  I  tell  ye, 
ivery  mother's  son  of  ye.  Grat  Vogel,  you  take  Steve 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  293 

an'  go  an'  bolt  and  bar  ivery  door  an'  window  in  the 
house,  an'  move  somethin'  agin  'em  wherever  ye  can. 
Rodney  Bedell,  Bud  Frazer,  Arch  Fellows,  Tim  Under- 
wood, Joe  Reon,  an'  Seward  Rathaway,  grab  holt  of 
anythin'  ye  can  find  for  clubs,  an'  stand  guard  at  the 
windows  here  an'  in  the  ball-room.  Dave  Martin,  Bob 
Landseer,  Ned  Blakely,  Ashbel  Fair  an'  "  Babe  "  Stran- 
der  will  help  me  keep  the  door.  The  rest  of  ye  stand 
by  ter  help  wheriver  ye' re  naded.  All  the  ladies  will 
stay  right  here  in  the  dinin'-room,  es  fur  away  from  the 
pint  of  attack  as  ye  can.  Now,"  he  added,  as  all  hands 
sprang  to  the  places  indicated,  "  let  Red  an'  his  little 
s'prise  party  step  up  ter  the  office  an'  git  their  time ; 
we're  ready  ter  pay." 

A  peri  xi  of  suspense  followed.  The  men  waited  at 
their  posts,  eager  and  alert,  listening  for  the  slightest 
sound.  The  ladies,  huddled  over  the  remains  of  the 
interrupted  feast  in  the  dining-room,  exhibited  remark- 
able coolness  and  courage.  There  was  no  weeping  nor 
wringing  of  hands,  no  outcries,  nor  insane  supplica- 
tions to  be  taken  home,  nor  lamentations  that  they 
had  come.  A  belief  in  the  impracticability  of  a  hurried 
or  successful  exodus  at  this  juncture  seemed  to  be 
unanimous,  and  the  righteousness  of  making  as  good  a 
defense  as  possible  against  the  invading  crew  of  semi- 
barbarian  and  drunken  ruffians  seemed  to  be  affirmed 
by  a  general,  if  tacit,  agreement. 

Ten  minutes  passed  without  a  sign  of  the  enemy. 
The  strain  of  suspense  was  growing  so  severe  that 
nearly  all  were  ready  to  welcome  the  attack  simply  to 
be  rid  of  the  suspense.  Presently  Pete  Murray  ex- 
claimed, impatiently: 

"  Sure,  if  the  divils  don't  come  on  in  one  minute,  I'll 
go  out  there  an'  bring  'em,  meself  1 " 


294  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

The  minute  passed,  and  another,  and  still  another. 
All  was  silent  without. 

"Come  with  me,  Bob!"  cried  Pete  at  last;  "we'll 
have  a  look  to  see  what's  kapin'  thim.  We  can't  wait 
much  longer  ter  lick  the  smocks  off  'em.  If  they  won't 
come  ter  us,  begorra,  we'll  go  ter  thim." 

Pete  opened  the  door  and  with  Bob  Landseer  sallied 
forth  in  search  of  the  marauders.  About  half  a  mile 
up  the  road  they  found  them,  as  Steve  had  said,  still 
engaged  in  a  drunken  quarrel.  As  the  two  skirmishers 
Approached,  they  heard  Red  Lampheer  asserting  in  a 
loud  voice  his  right  to  continued  dictatorship  over  the 
gang,  as  in  camp,  and  insisting  that  he  should  have 
first  choice  for  the  "  purtiest  gal  in  the  hull  shanty  " 
when  they  had  vanquished  the  "  mossbacks." 

After  satisfying  himself  as  to  the  intentions  of  the 
gang  and  the  cause  of  the  delay,  Pete  advanced  boldly 
into  the  road  and  called  out  tauntingly : 

"  Clear  outer  here,  ye  animals !  What  do  ye  mane, 
disturbin'  dacent  folks?  We've  been  waitin'  down 
yonder  ter  tache  ye  better  manners.  Come  on,  afi' 
we'll  show  ye  how  ter  dance  in  a  way  ye  niver  larned 
before."  Then  turning  to  Bob,  he  added:  "That'll 
fetch  the  divils,  ef  they're  comin*  at  all.  We'll  make 
tracks  back  ter  the  tavern  an*  be  ready  fer  thim." 
Before  the  drunken  shantymen  realized  what  had 
happened,  Pete  and  Bob  were  speeding  down  the  road 
to  Sixteen. 

They  were  scarcely  inside  the  tavern,  however,  be- 
fore the  raging,  yelling  mob  came  tearing  after  them. 
Ned  Blakely,  tall  and  lank,  had  charge  of  the  door  for 
the  moment,  while  Pete  recovered  his  wind  from  his 
run.  Incautiously  opening  the  door  a  crack  to  peep 
out,  Ned  suddenly  found  himself  face  to  face  with  the 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  295 

ugly  features  of  Red  Lampheer,  who  at  once  tried  to 
force  an  entrance. 

"  Git  out  of  the  way,  ye  scantling,"  he  bawled  con- 
temptuously at  Ned,  "or  I'll  break  ye  in  two." 

Then  Ned's  stuff  showed. 

"  I  don't  break  easy,"  he  retorted,  as  a  long,  slim 
arm,  with  a  red,  bony  fist  at  the  end  thereof,  shot  out 
like  a  flash  of  chain  lightning,  the  fist  end  taking  effect 
full  upon  the  flushed  face  of  the  burly  intruder. 

Red  Lampheer,  howling  with  pain  and  rage,  fell  back- 
ward into  the  arms  of  his  companions.  Ned,  reinforced 
by  as  many  of  those  inside  as  could  crowd  up,  sought 
to  take  advantage  of  this  temporary  victory  to  close  the 
door  and  bar  it,  but  heavy-booted  feet  thrust  in  at  the 
bottom,  and  brawny  hands  and  fierce,  brutal  faces  fill- 
ing the  space  at  the  top  made  it  impossible.  The  ruf- 
fians were  only  momentarily  feazed  by  the  overthrow 
of  their  leader.  Red  soon  rallied,  and  with  loud  oaths 
started  again  to  rush  into  the  room.  His  followers 
came  on  en  masse,  and  the  fight  raged  hot  about  the 
entrance.  First  Pete  Murray,  then  Ned  Blakely,  then 
Ashbel  Fair  and  the  other  defenders  sent  the  shanty- 
men  tumbling  to  the  ground  like  weak  children  beneath 
the  blows  of  their  heavy  fists ;  but  as  fast  as  one  went 
down  he  was  dragged  or  kicked  away  and  another  took 
his  place.  Suddenly  a  crash  of  glass  announced  an  at- 
tack on  one  of  the  windows.  It  was  followed  quickly 
by  the  crash  of  a  chair  on  the  head  which  was  thrust  in 
through  the  broken  sash.  The  situation  was  growing 
more  perilous  every  moment.  The  women,  with  pale 
faces  and  dilated  eyes,  had  shrunk  close  to  the  rear  wall 
of  the  dining-room  at  the  point  farthest  from  the  scrim- 
mage. They  made  no  outcry,  but  listened  and  watched 
with  what  interest  in  the  result  of  the  struggle  may  be 


2g6  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

imagined.  Their  defenders,  with  the  single  exception 
of  Jose,  the  fat  fiddler,  who  had  mysteriously  disap- 
peared, and  who,  by  the  way,  was  found  afterward 
asleep  under  a  bed,  were  standing  manfully  up  to  the 
work  in  hand,  determined  to  defend  the  citadel  at  any 
cost,  although  they  could  not  tell  how  far  the  drunken 
fury  of  the  shantymen  would  carry  them.  More  than 
one  regretted  that  they  had  not  taken  warning  from 
the  threat  made  by  Red  Lampheer  and  provided  them- 
selves with  more  effective  means  of  defense.  A  single 
brace  of  revolvers  would  have  proved  more  effectual 
than  two  score  of  fists.  By  a  strange  chance,  there  did 
not  appear  to  be  a  single  firearm  in  possession  of  either 
the  defending  or  attacking  party. 

It  appeared  at  length  that  a  new  scheme  for  forcing 
an  entrance  had  been  hit  upon  by  the  enemy.  Three 
stalwart  shantymen  rushed  in  upon  Pete  at  the  same 
time  and  clinched  with  him,  wrestling  and  tugging  at 
the  giant  Irishman  with  all  their  might,  and  striving 
not  so  much  to  throw  him  to  the  floor  as  to  shove  him 
back  from  the  entrance.  In  this  they  were  completely 
successful,  and  the  moment  his  place  was  vacant  at  the 
doorway  three  others  rushed  upon  Ned  and  bore  him 
struggling  to  the  floor.  Bob  Landseer  and  Dave  Mar- 
tin in  turn  met  a  similar  fate.  Ashbel  Fair  was  dragged 
outside.  Before  the  remaining  force  within  could  rally 
to  fill  the  breach  thus  formed,  the  horde  of  drunken, 
bruised,  and  yelling  shantymen  came  pouring  into  the 
room,  and  the  defenders  were  pushed  back  to  the  rear. 
Several  brave  fellows  were  already  badly  hurt,  while  a 
number  of  Lampheer's  crew  were  still  clinging  to  the 
arms,  legs,  necks,  and  hair  of  those  who  had  been  forced 
away  from  the  door,  rendering  them  helpless  for  the 
time.  Ashbel  Fair  had  come  in  again  with  the  rush  of 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  297 

invaders  and  was  now  grappling  with  a  wiry  young 
French-Canadian.  "  Babe  "  Strander  was  being  pum- 
melled about  the  head  with  huge  fists  by  a  burly  logger 
who  knelt  on  his  victim's  body.  Pete  Murray  was 
down  at  last  and  giving  four  brutes  all  they  could  do  to 
hold  him,  but  murderous  ringers  were  clutching  at  his 
throat.  The  outlook  began  to  look  dark ;  the  enemy 
outnumbered  the  defenders  and  fought  with  demoniacal 
fury;  the  battle  was  almost  lost — when  unexpected 
shouts  were  heard,  and  clear  and  distinct  above  the  din 
came  the  command : 

M  Loose  your  hold  there,  quick,  or  you  die ! " 
Tom  Moore  stood  inside  the  door  with  a  cocked  re- 
volver pointed  straight  at  the  head  of  the  ruffian  who 
was  trying  to  strangle  Pete  Murray.  Barney  O'Boyle, 
Jake  Vogel,  and  Dan  Underhill  stood  near  him  with 
their  revolvers  levelled  at  Red  Lampheer  and  his  shan- 
tymen  Consternation  seized  the  foe ;  they  began  to 
fall  away  as  if  already  they  felt  the  cold  lead  in  their 
flesh.  The  hard-pressed  defenders  were  electrified. 
Pete  sprang  to  his  feet  the  moment  the  murderous 
hands  were  removed,  and  pausing  not  an  instant,  as  his 
eye  roved  over  the  scene,  cried  out  in  a  loud  voice, 
somewhat  husky  from  the  choking  he  had  received : 
"  Now's  the  time,  boys !  Charge  the  divils ! " 
Immediately  the  swingle-like  movement  of  his  arms 
recommenced.  Shantymen  began  to  fall  around  him 
as  decayed  trees  fall  in  the  path  of  a  cyclone.  His 
friends  also  were  up  and  hewing  away  at  the  panic- 
stricken  foe.  Barney,  Tom,  Jake,  and  Dan,  putting  up 
their  revolvers,  joined  with  a  relish  in  the  feast  of  pun- 
ishment, until  the  miserable  wretches  were  cleared  com- 
pletely out  of  the  tavern,  and  driven  far  down  the  road, 
over  the  rude  bridge  spanning  the  creek,  and  on  toward 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  299 

free  from  injury  and  obligation  were  to  join  in  the 
hunt  for  the  lost  girl  if  they  were  willing.  Pete  Mur- 
ray, in  spite  of  his  rough  handling,  insisted  upon  joining 
the  searching  party,  and  confided  his  wife  and  daugh- 
ters to  Bob  and  Hetty  Landseer.  Ned  Blakely  also 
declared  himself  to  be  fit,  and  six  others  likewise,  mak- 
ing a  party  of  twelve,  who  declared  they  would  thrash 
every  acre  of  woods  until  Norine  was  found.  This  ar- 
rangement settled  upon,  the  party  set  forth,  following 
the  ridge  to  where  it  intersected  with  the  burnt  hills. 
Here  Tom  said  that  he  and  Barney  would  go  forward 
to  reconnoitre  while  the  others  remained  to  follow  when 
the  signal  should  be  given.  This  signal  was  to  be  the 
hooting  of  an  owl,  followed  by  a  raccoon's  cry.  Tom, 
from  long  years  spent  in  the  woods,  was  an  adept  at 
imitating  these  sounds,  making  both  so  naturally  as  to 
deceive  even  the  owl  or  raccoon  itself. 

Barney  and  Tom  moved  stealthily  along  the  ridge  in 
a  southerly  direction  to  the  spot  where  the  path  had 
been  discovered.  They  followed  this  path  till  it  merged 
into  the  hill  or  ledge  skirting  the  great  swamp.  There 
all  traces  of  it  disappeared.  They  went  cautiously  from 
side  to  side  of  the  ridge,  but  not  another  sign  of  a  track 
could  they  find.  The  ground  was  all  quite  new  to  them. 
They  could  be  sure  of  their  tourse  only  by  observing 
the  stars.  After  traversing  the  ridge  for  a  while  they 
concluded  to  return  to  their  companions.  It  was  use- 
less to  try  to  follow  a  trail  on  a  rocky  ledge  at  night. 
Coming  back  to  the  rest  of  the  party,  they  held  a  con- 
sultation as  to  the  next  step  to  be  taken,  and  it  was 
unanimously  agreed  to  wait  for  daylight  before  making 
another  attempt.  The  disappearance  of  Nero  puzzled 
them,  and  made  the  search  more  difficult. 

At  the  first  streak  of  light  the  whole  party  set  out 


300  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

again  on  the  trail,  thinking  it  wisdom  to  proceed  then 
in  a  body.  When  they  reached  the  ridge  it  was  evi- 
dent that  the  trail  was  lost  there  and  could  not  be 
picked  up  again.  They  scoured  the  whole  distance  of 
three  miles,  spreading  out  from  side  to  side  of  the  ledge 
of  rocks,  scanning  every  foot  of  its  surface  in  a  vain  at- 
tempt to  pick  up  the  lost  trail.  They  peered  into  the 
swamp  all  along  its  margin  for  a  possible  opening,  but 
none  could  be  observed.  It  seemed  evident  that  no 
foot  could  penetrate  the  swamp,  which  bordered  the 
rocks  on  both  sides,  and  no  way  of  leaving  the  ridge 
could  be  found  except  the  one  by  which  they  had  come. 
The  sun  had  nearly  reached  the  meridian  before  the 
tired  and  hungry  searchers  gave  up  hope  of  finding  the 
lost  girl.  She  could  not  have  disappeared  more  com- 
pletely if  the  earth  had  opened  and  swallowed  her  up. 
Utterly  baffled,  they  turned  their  steps  in  the  direction 
of  the  Hawkins  farm  to  make  their  disheartening  re- 
port and  assist  in  any  new  plans  that  might  be  made  to 
discover  the  secret  which  the  forest  and  the  swamp 
refused  to  disclose. 


CHAPTER   XXII 

A  PARTY  of  searchers,  weary,  crestfallen,  muddy,  and 
torn  arrived  at  the  farm  of  Mr.  Hawkins  on  the  after- 
noon following  the  interrupted  dance  and  supper  at 
Sixteen.  The  other  searchers  who  had  gone  in  differ- 
ent directions  had  returned  several  hours  before.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Maloney,  Parson  Allen  and  a  score  or  more 
of  neighbors  were  gathered  there,  anxiously  awaiting 
the  coming  of  the  last  party,  and  hoping  against  hope 
that  they  would  bring  Norine  with  them,  or  at  least 
some  tidings  of  her  safety.  Their  story  was  heard  with 
sorrow  and  alarm,  which  increased  as  the  questions 
which  came  thick  and  fast  failed  to  elicit  any  definite 
information  or  encouragement.  The  parents  of  Norine 
were  distracted  with  grief  and  anxiety,  all  the  more 
acute  because  Norine  had  never  before  been  away  from 
their  protecting  care  for  a  single  night. 

Mother  Hawkins  was  one  of  the  most  anxious  in- 
quirers for  tidings  of  the  lost  girl.  She  seemed  to  be 
breaking  down  under  a  fear  she  could  not  repress. 
Learning  that  Barney  and  Tom  had  returned  without 
any  encouraging  news,  and  that,  indeed*,  their  few  dis- 
coveries pointed  to  foul  play,  the  stricken  woman  un- 
willing to  confide  to  human  friends  the  inmost  fears  of 
her  heart,  raised  her  eyes  to  heaven  and,  while  the 
tears  rolled  down  her  furrowed  face,  appealed  to  the 
unseen  Father  to  spare  her  the  added  sorrows  which 
she  felt  were  near  at  hand. 

Rumors,  which  could  not  be  kept  from  Mother 
301 


302  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

Hawkins's  ears,  went  from  mouth  to  mouth  that  Sam 
had  not  yet  returned  to  his  home  since  the  night  be- 
fore, and  that  it  was  unfortunate  he  was  not  on  hand 
to  help  in  the  search  and  prevent  suspicion  from  at- 
taching to  him.  Some  of  the  more  reckless  did  not  hesi- 
tate to  venture  the  opinion  that  Sam  Hawkins  might 
give  the  searching  party  certain  valuable  information. 
These  whispered  remarks  showed  signs  of  developing 
into  threats,  but  as  Tom  and  Barney  said  nothing  to 
substantiate  the  rumors,  the  majority  gave  the  ugly 
insinuations  little  credence.  They  stung  his  mother's 
heart,  however,  like  poisoned  arrows.  She  had  watched 
all  night,  hoping  that  before  morning  Norine  would  be 
safely  returned.  When  Barney's  home-coming  blotted 
out  the  last  ray  of  hope  she  retired  to  the  sitting-room 
alone  and  gave  herself  up  to  sorrow  and  despair.  The 
minister  followed,  seeking  to  comfort  her  and  keep 
hope  alive.  She  listened  patiently  for  awhile,  then 
turning  her  weary,  pain-filled  eyes  to  his  face,  she  said : 

"You  are  very  kind,  Robert;  you  would  save  me 
from  the  blow  if  you  could;  perhaps  you  believe  all 
will  yet  be  well ;  God  grant  you  may  be  right." 

She  rose  tremblingly  to  her  feet  in  the  excess  of  her 
emotion.  The  next  moment  the  minister  sprang  for- 
ward to  save  her  from  falling,  and  placing  her  tenderly 
in  the  big  arm-chair,  started  to  find  Farmer  Hawkins. 

"  Robert,"  she  called  faintly,  as  he  was  leaving  the 
room. 

"  Yes,  Susan  ? "  he  asked,  returning  to  her  side. 

"  Do  not  let  any  of  them  know  that  I — that  I  be- 
lieve  " 

"I  know,  Susan;  I  will  say  nothing.  Leave  all  in 
God's  hands,  and  trust  in  His  mercy.  He  loves  us  all. 
He  saved  even  me,  Susan,"  said  Allen,  gently. 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  303 

Farmer  Hawkins  was  greatly  worried  to  find  his  wife 
failing  so  rapidly.  He  patted  her  face  lovingly  and 
urged  her  to  keep  up  heart.  "It's  always  the  darkest 
before  dawn,"  he  said.  Perhaps  the  sun  would  break 
through  the  clouds  sooner  than  she  thought.  It  was 
not  time  yet  to  lose  hope.  The  cheery  words  cost  the 
farmer  an  effort  which  well-nigh  betrayed  his  own 
heavy  heart  to  his  wife.  He  found  it  hard  to  inspire 
her  with  a  hope  which  he  himself  did  not  feel.  Several 
recent  happenings,  of  which  his  neighbors  knew  nothing, 
kept  thrusting  themselves  into  his  memory,  all  pointing 
the  same  way.  His  tender  pleadings  with  his  wife 
were  broken  at  last  with  a  sob.  He  saw  plainly  that 
the  strain  of  the  past  night  and  morning  was  proving 
too  much  for  her  feeble  strength — that  anxiety,  sor- 
row, and  shame  were  crushing  her  tender  spirit.  He 
looked  appealingly  to  the  minister ;  then  by  a  common 
impulse  they  both  knelt  together  near  Mother  Haw- 
kins's chair  and  lifted  up  their  burdened  hearts  to  the 
throne  of  Him,  who,  having  been  "  a  man  of  sorrows, 
and  acquainted  with  grief,"  is  able  also  to  bear  out 
grief  and  carry  our  sorrows 

With  the  peace  which  seemed  to  be  dawning  in  the 
loved  face  of  his  wife  as  they  arose,  Josiah  saw  some- 
thing more  which  caused  him  sudden  alarm.  He  hur- 
ried out  to  the  veranda  where  several  of  his  neighbors 
were  still  waiting,  and  exclaimed  in  a  voice  vibrating 
with  anguish : 

"I  want  somebody  to  go  for  the  doctor,  quick! 
Mother  is  ill ;  I'm  afraid  she's  dying !  Please  hurry." 

Every  man  sprang  to  get  his  horse,  but  Tom  Moore, 
leaping  into  Vogel's  buggy  which  stood  waiting  in  the 
road,  was  off  at  a  terrific  pace  before  any  of  the  others 
could  get  ready.  In  an  incredibly  short  time  Tom  had 


304  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

found  old  Doctor  Landseer,  Bob's  father,  and  brought 
him  to  the  farm ;  then  without  a  word  of  apology  he 
turned  the  panting,  lather-covered  horse  over  to  Jake 
Vogel  to  be  sponged  off  and  rubbed  down. 

Doctor  Landseer  came  from  the  house  half  an  hour 
later  looking  very  grave.  As  the  friends  of  Farmer 
Hawkins  gathered  round  him  with  eager  questions  he 
raised  his  hand  in  warning. 

"Sh!  Silence — absolute  silence!"  he  said.  "It's 
very  sad — very  sad.  The  good  woman  is  sufferin'  from 
nervous  shock  an'  strain.  There  was  little  I  could  do 
— very  little.  She  may  rally ;  then,  again,  she  may  not. 
Only  her  husband  must  go  near  her — an'  her  brother- 
in-law,  the  minister,  of  course.  You  better  all  go 
home.  Noise  or  excitement  of  any  kind  might  prove 
fatal.  I  regret  to  say  it — it's  very  sad — but  in  her  pres- 
ent condition  even  good  news  would  be  apt  to  have  as 
serious  effect  as  bad  news." 

The  old  doctor  always  self-important  when  speaking 
in  his  professional  capacity,  though  unassuming  enough 
at  other  times,  was  unusually  set  up  at  being  called  to 
visit  so  important  a  place  as  Farmer  Hawkins's.  He 
was  genuinely  sorry  for  the  grief -stricken  farmer,  but 
his  professional  dignity  asserted  itself  above  all  other 
feelings.  He  graciously  condescended  to  ride  back  to 
Red-Keg  with  Vogel  after  his  horse  had  rested,  and 
promised  to  come  out  again  with  Bob  in  the  morning. 

There  seemed  to  be  little  else  that  the  neighbors 
could  do  for  the  time  being  in  view  of  the  probability, 
which  amounted  almost  to  a  certainty,  that  Norine  had 
not  been  lost,  but  had  been  forcibly  taken  away.  It 
was  decided,  therefore,  to  leave  the  matter  until  the 
following  day  in  the  hands  of  Tom  Moore  and  Barney 
to  plan  the  next  move. 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  305 

Tom  Moore,  in  his  capacity  as  village  constable,  was 
ready  and  anxious  to  do  anything  that  would  throw 
more  light  upon  the  mystery.  He  did  not  care  to  ac- 
cuse Sam  until  he  had  something  more  than  a  mere 
suspicion  against  him.  Sam  had  a  bad  reputation,  but 
there  were  many  who,  for  his  father's  and  mother's 
sake,  if  not  for  his  own,  would  not  believe  him  guilty  of 
the  dastardly  outrage  which  had  been  laid  at  his  door. 

It  was  his  unexplained  disappearance,  his  well  known 
antipathy  to  Barney,  and  his  repeated  advances  to  No- 
rine,  one  of  which  had  earned  him  a  thrashing,  that  had 
caused  him  to  be  suspected  of  having  a  hand  in  the  ab- 
duction of  the  girl.  Big  Tom  and  Barney  had  pur- 
posely refrained  from  mentioning  the  boot-tracks  show- 
ing the  star,  and  had  also  cautioned  others  to  be  very 
careful  about  spreading  a  report  as  to  who  was  sus- 
pected; but  the  remarks  concerning  Sam  were  only 
partially  repressed.  Before  Tom  left  for  the  village 
they  had  talked  the  matter  over  carefully  and  had  laid 
plans  for  a  campaign  of  search  on  their  own  lines,  and 
determined  to  set  about  their  work  the  next  morning. 

Doctor  Landseer  came  early  in  the  morning,  and 
found  Mother  Hawkins  very  feeble  and  suffering  great 
mental  distress.  He  administered  an  opiate  and  cau- 
tioned Josiah  again  to  keep  from  her  everything  of  an 
exciting  nature.  Mrs.  Maloney,  her  own  heart  torn 
with  grief  and  anxiety,  insisted  upon  relieving  Josiah 
to  enable  him  to  get  needed  rest.  With  wonderful 
self-control  she  mastered  her  feelings,  that  she  might 
soothe  and  comfort  the  sick  woman  with  sympathy  and 
tender  ministrations. 

Sam  had  not  been  seen  since  the  night  of  Norine's 
disappearance.  This  fact  counted  against  him  strongly. 
On  the  other  hand,  the  presence  at  the  dance  of  Sew- 

20 


306  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

ard,  by  every  one  regarded  as  Sam's  most  intimate 
companion  and  confidant,  together  with  his  outspoken 
condemnation  of  whoever  was  responsible  for  the  ab- 
duction, counted  almost  as  strongly  in  Sam's  favor. 
Those  who  had  been  most  ready  to  point  the  finger  of 
suspicion  at  Sam,  were  compelled  to  admit  that  he 
would  hardly  engage  in  so  risky  an  undertaking  with- 
out the  knowledge  or  support  of  the  other  so-called  In- 
vincibles.  When  on  the  afternoon  following  the  abduc- 
tion Walt  came  up  on  the  train  from  Midland,  where 
he  had  been  on  a  personal  business  errand,  and  also 
expressed  unquestionable  surprise  and  indignation  on 
hearing  of  the  affair,  the  case  against  Sam  grew  still 
weaker.  Billy  Axford  and  Sam  himself  remained  to  be 
heard  from. 

As  soon  as  they  could  do  so  without  attracting  at- 
tention, Seward  and  Walt  met  in  their  room  over  Pete's 
saloon  to  discuss  the  matter  in  their  own  way.  Their 
low,  intense  voices  and  angry  gestures  were  strongly 
out  of  harmony  with  their  professed  ignorance  of  the 
whole  affair. 

A  knock  at  the  door  interrupted  their  conference. 
Bob  Simons  stood  there  with  a  soiled  letter  in  his  hand. 

Seward  took  it  leisurely  and  then  locked  the  door. 
He  immediately  tore  the  envelope  open,  read  the  note 
and  handed  it  to  Walt  with  an  expressive  "  humph ! " 

"  Come  to  the  hunting  lodge  at  once,"  the  note  said. 
There  was  no  signature. 

"Come  on,"  exclaimed  Seward.  "The  sooner  we 
have  this  thing  out  the  better." 

By  a  circuitous  route,  with  frequent  halts,  doublings, 
and  constant  watchfulness,  the  two  young  men  made 
their  way  to  the  lodge  in  which  they  had  entertained 
the  detectives.  Sam  and  Billy  were  waiting  for  them. 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  307 

"  What  devil's  work  have  you  been  up  to  now,  Sam  ? " 
demanded  Seward  angrily  the  instant  he  opened  the 
door.  "  I'm  not  going  to  beat  about  the  bush,  let  me 
tell  you ;  and  what's  more,  if  you  have  carried  off  No- 
rine,  I  won't  stand  for  it  a  minute;  let  that  be  under- 
stood." 

"  Just  hold  up  there  a  minute,  will  you,"  replied  Sam 
with  provoking  coolness.  "  Who  said  I  carried  off  No- 
rine  ?  You  are  entirely  too  swift.  Sit  down  here  and 
we'll  all  talk  it  over  together.  Remember  the  motto  of 
the  Invincibles,  '  no  surrender.'  How  are  you,  Walt  ? 
Come  sit  down  here,  both  of  you." 

Hour  after  hour  passed.  The  four  Invincibles  con- 
tinued in  earnest  consultation  until  late  into  the  night. 
More  than  once  the  meeting  threatened  to  break  up  in 
a  row,  but  mutual  interests,  and  more  potent  still,  mu- 
tual safety  held  them  strongly,  and  made  a  division  the 
one  thing  to  be  avoided.  Sam  had  told  Billy  sometime 
before  that  "  if  it  comes  to  a  pinch  they  must  stand 
their  share."  Seward  and  Walt  tried  to  dodge  this 
share  but  saw  no  safe  way  to  do  so.  When  they 
parted  in  the  morning,  it  was  with  a  definite  plan 
mapped  out.  Seward  and  Walt  returned  at  once,  by 
different  routes,  to  Red-Keg.  Sam  and  Billy  were  to 
follow  later. 

At  Pete's  saloon,  on  Monday  afternoon,  the  second 
day  after  Norine's  disappearance,  the  usual  crowd  of 
tavern  gossips  were  gathered,  discussing  the  mystery 
and  waiting  for  any  scrap  of  news  that  might  find  its 
way  thither.  The  presence  of  Seward  and  Walt  at- 
tracted some  who  were  not  accustomed  to  frequent  the 
place,  because  it  was  hoped  that  they  might  throw 
some  light  upon  the  reason  for  Sam's  continued  ab- 
sence. But  they  merely  reiterated  their  belief  that 


308  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

Sam  and  Billy  were  on  a  hunting  trip,  and  that  they 
knew  absolutely  nothing  about  the  abduction. 

"  Sam  urged  me  to  go  with  him  out  to  the  Big  Salt 
on  Saturday,"  said  Seward,  "  but  I  refused  because  I 
wanted  to  go  to  the  dance.  I  have  every  reason  to  sup- 
pose that  he  and  Billy  went,  anyway,  although  I  be- 
lieve he  wasn't  feeling  very  well  that  afternoon." 

"They  must  have  gone,"  said  Walt.  "Billy  told 
me  they  thought  of  it,  and  I  suggested  that  they  wait 
till  Monday  so  we  could  all  go  together.  I  had  to  go 
to  Midland,  you  know.  He  said  he'd  speak  to  Sam 
about  it,  and  that's  the  last  I — why,  here  they  come 
now !  By  Jove !  you  see  it  is  as  we  thought ;  they've 
just  got  in  from  their  trip." 

Sam  and  Billy  came  in  attired  in  hunting  garb, 
muddy  and  bedraggled,  stood  their  guns  noisily  against 
the  wall,  and  called  on  Pete  to  "  set  'em  up." 

"Hallo,  there,  boys!"  exclaimed  Sam,  addressing 
Walt  and  Seward.  "You  missed  it  by  not  coming 
with  us.  We  had  the  best  luck  of  the  spring — two 
splendid  big  bucks.  You  must  come  out  to  the  lodge 
as  soon  as  you  can  and  see  them.  Thunder !  but  I'm 
tired ;  Billy  and  I  have  been  on  the  go  from  Saturday 
afternoon  till  last  night,  running  those  deer.  Come 
up,  and  have  something — what  in  blazes  are  you  all 
staring  about,  anyhow  ? "  he  added,  noting  the  signifi- 
cant looks  bent  upon  him  by  the  hangers-on. 

"  Hain't  you  two  heard  nothin'  o'  that  lost  girl  ? " 
asked  Joe  Reon,  after  an  awkward  pause. 

"  Lost  girl ! "  exclaimed  Sam  with  a  great  show  of 
astonishment.  "  Who's  lost  ? " 

"  Why,  didn't  ye  know  thet  Norine  Maloney  hes  dis- 
appeared es  though  the  earth  had  swallered  her  up  ? " 
replied  Joe. 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  309 

"No  indeed!  How  strange!"  said  Sam.  "When 
was  it,  and  how  in  the  world  did  it  happen  ? " 

"  No  one  seems  ter  know.  She  an'  Barney  started 
out  ter  the  dance  Saturday  night  in  the  ox-cart.  They 
had  an  upset,  an'  while  Barney  was  chasin'  his  team, 
Norine  disappeared  an'  hain't  been  seen  nor  heard  from 
sence." 

The  whole  matter,  so  far  as  it  was  known,  was  then 
pretty  thoroughly  aired,  Sam  listening  intently  to 
every  word. 

"  I  say,  Sam,  come  here  a  minute,"  whispered  Arch 
Fellows  to  Sam,  and  jerked  his  head  toward  a  corner 
of  the  barroom.  "I  don't  mind  tellin'  ye  thet  your 
name  is  mixed  up  in  this  mess.  Ef  ye  can  clear  yer- 
self,  now's  the  time  to  do  it." 

"  Why,  my  friend,  that's  kind  of  you,  don't  you  know, 
but  you  must  be  mistaken,"  replied  Sam,  flushing 
scarlet,  and  then  paling. 

"Unless  you  can  show  an  allerby  (I  think  thet's 
what  they  call  it)  there's  trouble  ahead  fer  ye.  Don't 
let  on  as  I've  put  ye  on  to  this,  but  I  want  ye  ter  be 
on  yer  guard,"  and  the  two  sauntered  back  to  the  bar 
and  mingled  with  the  rest. 

"  But  I  say  that  Sam  Hawkins  had  nothing  whatever 
to  do  with  it ! "  Seward  was  just  asserting.  "  He  was 
off  on  the  Big  Salt  hunting,  as  he  says.  I'll  take  my 
chances  on  that.  What's  the  sense  in  calling  a  man 
a  liar — and  worse — when  you  have  nothing  to  prove  it. 
He  is  here,  and  can  speak  for  himself.  Oh,  Sam,  where 
are  you  ?  Here's  a  fellow  who  is  trying  to  connect  you 
with  the  disappearance  of  Norine.  Come  here  and  let 
us  know  what  you  have  to  say." 

"Who  says  I  know  anything  about  this  affair?" 
cried  Sam,  emboldened  by  Seward's  companionship. 


3io  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

"If  anything  has  happened  to  the  girl  ask  Barney 
O'Boyle  about  it.  He  took  her  off  Saturday  night  in 
an  old  ox-cart  you  say.  The  chances  are  that  he  quar- 
relled with  her  on  the  way — tried  to  force  her  to  con- 
sent to  his  proposals,  or  something,  and  when  she  re- 
fused he  made  way  with  her;  or  else  he  lost  her  in  the 
slough,  and  to  save  his  own  bacon  he's  trying  to  put 
suspicion  on  me.  He's  a " 

"  Ye' re  a  liar,  and  a  coward !  Ye  wouldn't  dare  talk 
like  thet  ef  Barney  war  here.  I  believe  you  know 
where  Norine  Maloney  is  if  any  one  does,"  and  Tom 
Moore  at  that  instant  stepped  into  the  door,  having 
been  standing  within  hearing  when  Sam  was  making 
his  dastardly  charge  against  Barney. 

This  unexpected  attack  took  everybody  by  surprise, 
and  the  crowd  breathlessly  awaited  the  outcome. 

"  Don't  be  too  windy,  there,  Tom,"  exclaimed  Seward, 
before  Sam  could  reply  for  himself.  "  You  know  Sam 
is  no  knocker,  and  you  take  advantage  of  that  fact. 
You  just  hold  your  peace,  Sam,  till  I  get  through." 
Then  turning  again  to  Tom :  "  Whatever  you  may  say 
don't  change  conditions  at  all.  You've  all  heard  where 
Sam  was  Saturday  night  and  what  he  was  doing. 
Here's  Billy  to  prove  it.  I've  known  Sam  for  years ; 
we've  been  intimate  all  that  time.  If  he  wants  to  make 
a  fight  of  it,  I'll  join  him,  and  meet  any  man  or  men 
who  repeats  the  dirty  lie  again." 

"Bully  for  you,  Seward!"  cried  Axford.  "That's 
the  way  to  talk.  I  was  with  Sam  Saturday  night  and 
I'm  ready  to  plug  the  fellow  that  accuses  me  of  having 
anything  to  do  with  the  disappearance  of  the  girl. 
Here's  Walt,  too.  That  makes  four  of  us." 

Walt  said  nothing,  but  he  ranged  himself  beside  the 
other  three  in  tacit  agreement. 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  3 1 1 

A  buzz  of  excitement  went  around,  but  no  one  had 
the  temerity  to  accept  the  challenge  thrown  down. 

Good-natured  Tom  Moore  didn't  want  to  fight.  He 
merely  wanted  to  save  Barney  from  false  accusations. 
He  knew  that  Sam  lied  when  he  accused  Barney.  He 
could  not  prove  anything  further.  In  fact,  the  stand 
the  boys  had  taken  almost  convinced  him  that  Sam 
knew  nothing  of  the  matter. 

"  Gentlemen,  I  see  you  are  all  greatly  excited  over 
this  affair,  and  if  you  will  allow  me  my  little  say,  I  may 
throw  a  ray  or  two  of  light  on  this  mystery." 

One  of  the  loungers,  a  tramp,  who  had  been  resting 
and  dozing  the  greater  part  of  the  day  at  one  of  the 
small  tables,  pushed  his  way  forward  into  the  group. 

"  Saturday  evening  I  walked  all  the  way  down  from 
Sixteen,  arriving  here  at  about  ten  'o'clock.  On  my 
way  down  the  State  road,  when  just  this  side  of  a  long 
corduroy,  crossing  a  deep  lagoon,  I  heard  an  awful  rum- 
bling on  ahead  of  me.  I  stopped  to  listen,  and  soon  an 
ox-team  came  in  sight  running  as  though  the  very  old 
Nick  was  after  them.  I  stepped  aside  to  let  them  pass, 
and  soon  I  heard  a  man  coming  along,  running  at  the 
top  of  his  speed  and  yelling  at  the  runaways.  I  was  in 
a  hurry  and  did  not  care  to  be  delayed,  so  I  again 
stepped  to  one  side  and  the  runner  went  by  without 
noticing  me.  I  had  regained  the  road  and  walked 
scarcely  a  dozen  rods  when  I  saw  a  tall  man  step  out 
from  a  clump  of  bushes.  He  started  at  a  fast  walk 
down  the  road,  and  I  must  confess  I  was  a  little  star- 
tled to  see  him,  and  so  remained  behind  in  order  to  ob- 
serve what  was  in  the  wind.  A  little  farther  down  the 
road  he  came  up  to  where  a  woman  was  standing.  He 
approached  her  and  held  a  conversation  for  a  few  mo- 
ments, and  then  both  of  them  started  off  into  the  forest 


312  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

to  the  west.  From  where  I  was  standing  (I  didn't  dare 
come  too  near)  I  could  not  tell  whether  she  went  will- 
ingly with  the  fellow  or  not.  I  could  only  see  their 
outlines  in  the  dark.  I  thought  there  was  some  mys- 
tery in  it  all,  so  I  skipped  out  as  fast  as  I  could.  I 
didn't  want  to  be  mixed  up  in  anything  like  that." 

The  crowd  listened  and  drank  in  every  word.  The 
Invincibles  absorbed  with  avidity  all  that  was  said. 
After  the  stranger  had  cleared  his  throat  he  continued : 

"  I  wouldn't  have  mentioned  the  matter  only  that  I 
heard  this  young  man  here  charged  with  having  a  hand 
in  it,  and  this  other  gentleman  swear  that  he  was  with 
him,  and,  that  being  true,  he  could  not  have  had  any- 
thing to  do  with  the  crime,  as  I  saw  only  one  man  with 
the  girl.  I  don't  like  to  see  a  man  charged  with  any- 
thing of  which  he  is  innocent,"  and  the  stranger  looked 
longingly  toward  the  bar. 

"  Stranger,  you  have  relieved  me  of  a  great  deal  of 
embarrassment,  don't  you  know,"  said  Sam.  "Of 
course  time  would  have  settled  matters  all  right ;  but  I 
might  have  been  unpleasantly  situated  for  a  while,  if  it 
had  not  been  for  you  and  my  friends  here,"  and  Sam 
grasped  the  hand  of  the  shabby  stranger.  "  Come  up 
and  have  some  of  Pete's  best.  All  of  you  have  one  on 
me."  A  rush  was  made  toward  the  bar  again,  Tom 
«nly  declining  on  the  ground  that  he  never  indulged. 

As  the  liquor  disappeared  down  thirsty  throats  gos- 
sip was  again  let  loose.  The  developments  of  the  last 
few  minutes  had  set  all  tongues  to  wagging. 

"  I  want  to  know  the  name  of  my  benefactor,"  said 
Sam  to  the  stranger  a  little  later. 

"  Oh,  that  don't  matter  much,  my  friend.  I  am  no- 
body. I  have  been  way  up  State  for  the  winter  and 
came  down  last  week  to  Sixteen.  Got  on  an  awful  jag; 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  313 

there  and  saw  snakes.  Thought  I  saw  a  spider  just  now 
on  your  neck,  and  that  reminds  me,"  and  the  stranger 
gave  an  ominous  shudder.  "  But  this  stuff  of  Pete's  is 
a  warmer,  sure.  Hadn't  we  better  try  another  one  ? " 

Again  the  treats  went  around  at  the  expense  of  Sam. 

"  Speaking  of  my  name,  as  I  have  said,  that  isn't 
much,  but  you  are  welcome  to  it  such  as  it  is.  It's  not 
long — simply  Long,  for  short,  or  John  Long,  in  full, 
and  nearly  always  full,  or  willing  to  be.  I  expect  to 
board  a  freight  train  down  the  line  to-night,  and  I  may 
never  see  you  again,  but  I  am  so  much  obliged  to  you 
for  your  generosity.  Say  (sotto  voce\  you  haven't  a 
few  pennies  about  you,  have  you  ?  You  know  I  may 
see  those  snakes  again  unless  I  am  fortunate  enough 
to  be  fortified  against  them,"  and  Long  looked  furtively 
around  as  though  he  expected  to  see  some  just  then. 

"  You  see,  my  friend,"  his  voice  assuming  a  stage 
whisper  again,  "  I  am  dead  broke,  or  I  wouldn't  trouble 
a  nice  gentleman  like  yourself,"  and  he  cast  an  admir- 
ing look  into  Sam's  face. 

Sam  reached  into  his  pocket  and  gave  the  man  a  dol- 
lar bill. 

"  Kind  friend,  I  will  remember  this,  and  some  day  I 
may  be  able  to  pay  it  back." 

"Don't  mention  it.  It's  a  mere  trifle,  don't  you 
know,  and  you  have  already  done  me  a  great  service," 
and  Sam  shook  the  outstretched  hand  of  his  garrulous 
friend. 

Tom  Moore  had  been  watching  the  tramp  closely  for 
some  minutes.  When  he  was  about  to  leave  the  place, 
Tom  stepped  up  to  him  and  brusquely  said : 

"  Say,  pard,  don't  take  no  offense ;  but  I  would  like 
to  ask  ye  a  few  questions.  Ye  say  ye  arrived  here  Sat- 
urday night  about  ten  o'clock.  Where'd  ye  sleep  ? " 


3H  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

Taken  by  surprise,  the  stranger  began  to  stammer : 

"You  see,  my  friend — I — you — you  know — or  my 
friend  here  knows — that  is — well — I  was  simply  with- 
out a  cent  in  the  world,  and  a  kindly  barn  out  here  on 
the  outskirts  of  your  hospitable  village  sheltered  me 
from  the  inclemency  of  the  weather  while  Jupiter 
Pluvius  was  drenching  the  land  during  the  night." 

"When  did  ye  leave  thet  barn?"  continued  Tom, 
pointedly. 

"  Well,  your  honor — pardon  me,  sir ;  I  thought  for  a 
moment  that  I  was  addressing  a  court — I  left  my  tem- 
porary place  of  shelter  this  morning.  Morpheus  had 
taken  such  a  powerful  hold  on  me  after  I  got  nicely 
ensconced  in  the  depths  of  that  sweet  hay,  and,  having 
empty  pockets,  I  let  him  hang  on  as  long  as  he 
would,"  and  the  tramp  looked  pleadingly  at  his  inter- 
rogator. 

"  Hev  ye  any  objections  to  lettin'  me  see  the  bottom 
o'  yer  boot  ? "  again  asked  Tom. 

"  Not  the  slightest,"  and  the  tramp  raised  his  foot 
from  the  floor.  All  eyes  were  now  turned  toward  this 
couple. 

"  Jest  as  I  thought !  Do  ye  see  thet,  boys  ? "  and 
Tom  pointed  to  the  heel. 

There  in  plain  sight  was  a  star ! 

"  Thet's  enough,"  resumed  Tom,  "  ye  may  put  down 
yer  foot;  but  I  want  ye  to  come  with  me,"  and  the  big 
fellow  had  a  pair  of  handcuffs  snapped  upon  the  tramp 
before  he  could  even  utter  a  word  of  protest. 

"  What  does  this  mean  ? "  yelled  the  crowd,  as  Tom 
and  his  prisoner  started  for  the  door. 

"  It  means  that  I  have  arrested  this  man  for  abduct- 
in'  or  otherwise  disposin'  of  Norine  Maloney,"  said 
Tom,  with  decision,  as  he  marched  his  prisoner  over  to 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  315 

the  lockup  near  by,  the  crowd  following,  hooting  and 
yelling,  and  with  cries  of 

"  Hang  him ! " 

"  String  him  up ! " 

"  Give  'im  to  us !    We'll  fix  'im ! " 

"  Hold  on.  We  must  have  no  blood  on  our  hands," 
exclaimed  Seward  to  the  crowd,  and  the  Invincibles 
quickly  surrounded  Tom  and  his  prisoner.  "Justice 
will  be  done,  and  we'll  see  it  through  to  the  end. 
We  will  have  no  mob  violence.  This  man's  punish- 
ment will  come  soon  enough  when  he  is  proven  guilty." 

The  crowd,  numbering  by  this  time  a  hundred  peo- 
ple, fell  back  to  let  the  law  take  its  course,  and  Con- 
stable Tom  soon  had  the  unfortunate  wanderer  securely 
under  lock  and  key  in  an  old  log  shanty  which  was  used 
as  a  jail  when  occasion  required. 


CHAPTER   XXIII 

TOM  MOORE  hastened  to  find  Barney  to  boast  of  his 
capture.  There  seemed  no  doubt  that  he  had  the  right 
man.  As  his  belief  in  the  tramp's  guilt  grew  stronger, 
the  defense  offered  by  Sam  assumed  proportionately 
greater  value.  Hadn't  he  proved  an  alibi  ?  Were  not 
the  hunting  boots  he  wore  free  from  the  telltale  star, 
while  the  tramp's  boots  had  them?  Was  not  Sam's 
story  of  how  his  time  had  been  employed  since  Satur- 
day night  much  more  credible  than  that  told  by  the 
tramp  ?  All  these  points  Tom  laid  before  Barney,  but 
the  latter  seemed  unconvinced. 

"  What  did  the  tramp  say  for  himself  ? "  he  asked. 

"  Oh,  of  course  he  denied  the  hull  thing,  an'  stuck  to 
it,"  replied  Tom ;  "  but  I  reckon  Jedge  Frost  will  git  it 
outer  him  at  the  hearin'." 

The  young  Irishman  shook  his  head  gloomily.  He 
could  see  no  light  on  the  dark  mystery.  The  uncer- 
tainty regarding  the  whereabouts  and  fate  of  Norine 
was  preying  upon  his  mind.  He  could  see  the  girl 
standing  in  the  road  where  he  had  left  her ;  her  appeal- 
ing voice  still  smote  upon  his  ears,  and  he  could  not 
be  comforted.  He  fully  realized  the  sorrow  his  misfor- 
tune had  entailed  upon  others,  and  also  the  loss  of 
property  by  his  beloved  employer,  who  bore  the  blow 
uncomplainingly.  He  could  see  the  suffering  of  dear 
Mother  Hawkins,  who  had  been  indeed  a  mother  to 
him.  He  could  see  also  the  heart-sorrow  of  the  parents 

316 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  317 

of  his  betrothed.  His  bride-to-be  had  disappeared — 
was  perhaps  dead — and  there  was  lost  property  to  make 
good.  In  the  last  two  days  he  had  become  melancholy, 
almost  morose,  and  took  little  interest  in  anything  ex- 
cept how  to  find  Norine. 

Tom  and  Barney,  who  stood  talking  out  near  the 
road,  were  so  absorbed  that  they  did  not  hear  a  light 
footstep  behind  them.  It  was  evening,  and  darkness 
had  already  fallen. 

"  Mr.  Moore,  excuse  me  for  interrupting,  but  have 
you  had  any  news  from  Norine  ?  I  saw  you  passing 
our  place,  and  thought  you  would  be  here  and  might 
have  more  information  by  this  time,  so  I  came  up  to 
see.  We  are  so  much  worried  about  her."  Lettie 
Green  had  approached  the  two  men,  and  now  looked  in- 
quiringly at  the  burly  constable.  She  did  not  look  at 
Barney.  Her  heart  was  too  full  of  sorrow  at  the  loss 
of  her  friend ;  moreover,  there  were  other  thoughts  in 
her  mind  which  she  hardly  dared  to  consider,  even  in 
secret. 

"  We  hev  no  perticular  news  of  her,  but  we  are  sartin 
thet  we  hev  her  abductor  safely  behind  the  bars,  Miss 
Green,"  answered  Tom,  politely. 

"  What !  Sam  Hawkins — in  jail ! "  and  she  grasped 
the  gate  to  keep  herself  from  falling.  "What  will 
become  of  his  poor  old  mother  ? "  and  Lettie  burst  into 
tears. 

"  Be  calm,  Miss ;  he  isn't  the  guilty  one.  What  made 
ye  think  he  was  ? "  and  Tom  looked  at  her  in  amaze- 
ment. 

"Why,  Mr.  Moore — I — I — really — somebody  said 
that  it  was  Sam,"  and  her  face  crimsoned  deeply,  while 
she  gave  a  sigh  of  relief. 

44  No,  no,  Miss  Green ;  we  hev  found  a  tramp  who 


318  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

we  think  hes  abducted  or  possibly  murdered  the  poor 
gal.  We  will  know  more  about  it  tomorrer." 

"Oh,  I  hope  she  isn't — I  hope  she's  safe,"  exclaimed 
Lettie ;  then  thanking  Tom,  she  went  to  the  house  to 
inquire  after  Mother  Hawkins.  Receiving  an  assur- 
ance that  she  was  quietly  resting,  the  young  woman 
started  down  the  road  toward  her  home. 

She  seemed  to  be  walking  in  a  haze.  She  was  oblivi- 
ous of  all  things  around  her.  A  great  tumult  was  go- 
ing on  between  heart  and  brain.  She  was  sure  that 
Sam  Hawkins  was  the  culprit,  even  though  some  one 
else  had  been  arrested  on  suspicion.  Should  she  tell 
what  she  knew  of  Sam's  eagerness  to  prevent  Norine 
from  going  to  the  dance  with  Barney,  or  should  she 
shield  Sam  and  let  an  innocent  man  suffer  ?  Although 
at  her  last  meeting  with  Sam  he  had  grossly  insulted 
her,  she  had  forgiven  him  in  spite  of  herself.  Why  was 
it  that  she  still  held  to  the  love  that  had  well-nigh 
wrecked  her  life  ?  Why  was  it  that  the  hate  which,  at 
the  moment  of  his  insults  and  taunts  seemed  springing 
up  in  her  heart,  died  away  so  quickly  ?  Surely  he  did 
not  mean  half  of  what  he  had  said  then  in  anger.  If 
only  she  could  see  him  alone  again,  her  tenderness  and 
forgiveness  would  win  him  back.  Perhaps,  after  all,  he 
was  innocent  of  the  dreadful  thing  that  had  been  done. 
Why  should  she  suspect  him,  if  others  did  not  ?  He 
needed  a  loyal  friend  now  in  the  time  of  his  trouble. 
Might  she  not  find  comfort  and  joy  herself  in  standing 
as  his  champion  ?  Ah,  let  him  try  her  and  see. 

Thus  musing,  she  was  walking  slowly  homeward. 
The  road  led  through  a  dark  patch  of  wood  before 
reaching  her  home,  and  as  she  neared  this  spot  she  sud- 
denly came  to  a  standstill.  She  dreaded  to  go  through. 
It  was  dark,  and  the  woods  seemed  unusually  gloomy. 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  319 

Thoughts  of  Norine  filled  her  with  apprehension.  She 
stood  at  the  outskirts  of  the  wood,  hesitating.  She 
could  hear  her  heart  thump  at  every  pulsation.  A  ter- 
rible dread  crept  over  her,  and  she  was  about  to  turn 
and  fly  back  to  the  home  of  Norine,  when  she  heard 
some  one  coming  through  the  glen.  She  was  now 
helpless  from  fright.  She  essayed  to  move  or  cry  out, 
but  stood  like  a  statue.  Soon  the  outlines  of  a  man 
could  be  seen  coming  toward  her,  and  a  moment  later, 
to  her  great  relief,  she  saw  that  it  was  Sam.  With  a 
cry  of  joy  she  rushed  to  him,  her  fear  having  departed 
with  his  advent. 

"  Oh,  Sam,  I  never  was  so  glad  in  my  life.  I  was  so 
frightened  at  this  lonely  spot  just  now,  and  you  came 
just  in  time  to  save  me  from  losing  my  self-possession. 
Why,  Sam,  what's  the  matter  ?  Are  you  not  glad  to 
see  me  ? "  and  Lettie  drew  back  a  step  as  Sam  impa- 
tiently motioned  her  aside. 

"  Don't  know  why  I  should  be,"  he  said  gruffly.  "  I 
suppose  you've  been  up  to  Norine's  or  to  our  place  to 
blab  what  you  know.  Have  you  ? "  his  voice  was  thick, 
and  even  in  the  darkness  Lettie  discovered  that  he  was 
the  worse  for  liquor,  and  was  in  an  ugly  mood. 

"  Sam,  please  don't  talk  that  way  to  me.  I  have  done 
nothing  to  deserve  it.  I  have  not  breathed  one  word 
against  you,  nor  told  anything  I  know.  As  soon  as  I 
heard  of  the  trouble,  and  found  your  name  being  drawn 
into  it,  I  prayed  that  you  might  be  able  to  clear  your- 
self." 

"  I  would  rather  have  you  use  your  wits  and  help  me, 
and  do  less  praying,"  sneered  Sam.  "  I'm  not  out  of 
this  scrape  yet,  even  though  they  have  got  a  tramp  in 
jail.  I  need  friends  still,  and  if  you're  as  smart  as 
you're  supposed  to  be,  you'll  think  of  some  way  to  help 


320  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

me.  That  tramp  says  he  came  down  here  Saturday 
night,  and  on  the  way  saw  a  man  come  out  of  the  woods 
and  meet  Norine  and  then  go  back  with  her.  He  says 
he  went  past  this  way  about  ten  o'clock.  If  his  story 
holds  water,  he'll  get  off  and  they'll  have  to  find  the 
other  man.  Can't  you  find  somebody,  your  Aunt  Lydia, 
or  somebody  else,  who  will  swear  they  saw  the  tramp, 
short,  dark  suit,  slouch  hat,  pass  here  this  morning,  or 
last  evening  ?  That'll  bear  out  Tom  Moore's  idea  and 
upset  the  tramp's  yarn.  He's  no  account  anyhow,  and 
a  spell  of  boarding  at  the  State's  expense  will  do  him 
good,  don't  you  know,  m'  dear." 

Sam's  tone  was  growing  confidential  and  coaxing  as 
he  thought  his  plea  would  succeed.  It  was  too  dark 
for  him  to  see  the  look  of  horror  which  had  come  into 
Lettie's  face  as  she  listened. 

"  Sam ! "  she  gasped,  "  would  you  have  me  ask  some 
one  to  swear  to  a  lie?  Oh,  you  don't  mean  that! 
What  if  the  poor  man  is  really  innocent  ?  Why  are 
you  so  anxious  to  convict  him  ?  Is  there  no  other  way 
for  you  to  shield  yourself  ?  Does  it  mean  that  you — 
oh,  Sam !  did  you ? " 

"That's  enough!"  interrupted  Sam  gruffly.  "I 
didn't  ask  you  to  preach.  Of  course  I've  got  to  shield 
myself  the  best  way  I  can.  I  thought  I  could  count 
on  you  to  help  me,  as  you  pretended  to  care  for  me. 
S'posing  I  did  do  it,  isn't  that  all  the  more  reason  for 
needing  help?  Are  you  going  to  do  as  I  ask  or 
not?" 

"  You  know,  Sam,  I  want  to  help  you ;  but  don't  ask 
me  to  commit  another  crime  to  cover  up  one  already 
committed.  Oh,  Sam,  is  it  too  late  for  you  to  set  right 
whatever  you  have  done,  and  restore  Norine  to  her 
parents,  and  to — to —  Barney  ?  What  doyou  want  of  her, 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  321 

Sam,  when  she  has  no  love  for  you  ?  Tell  me  where 
she  is.  Let  me  go  to  her,  and  my  word  for  it,  Sam,  I 
will  have  her  return  and  clear  both  you  and  the  poor 
tramp.  Besides,  no  one  need  ever  know  that  she  was 
really  abducted.  Let  me  manage  it,  Sam.  Return  her 
through  me  to  Barney.  By  so  doing  you  may  save  your 
dear  mother's  life.  Do  you  know  she  now  lies  at  the 
point  of  death,  brought  there  by  the  thought  that  her 
only  son  has  been  guilty  of  some  unnamable  crime  ? " 

"  Mother  sick,  did  you  say,  and  on  my  account  ? " 
said  Sam  uneasily.  "I  don't  see  why  she  should 
worry  about  me,  I  know  enough  to  take  care  of  my- 
self without  being  tied  to  her  apron-strings." 

"That  may  all  be  very  true,  Sam,"  the  girl  con- 
tinued, "  but  you  have  caused  her  great  suffering,  and 
the  doctor  says  she  may  die  at  any  moment." 

"  Hang  it  all !  She  seems  to  think  I'm  a  baby  yet," 
and  his  lips  curled  in  annoyance  at  the  thought. 

"But,  Sam,"  and  Lettie  placed  her  hand  tenderly 
upon  his  shoulder,  "don't  you  love  your  mother? 
When  she  is  gone,  Sam — when  she  is  gone— it  will  be 
too  late  to  show  her  the  tenderness  that  she  hungers  for 
now.  She  yearns  for  you,  and  the  agony  of  the  thought 
that  you  have  done  such  a  dastardly " 

"Don't  be  too  ready  with  your  adjectives,  please; 
something  unpleasant  about  them,  don't  you  know," 
broke  in  Sam,  sneeringly. 

"  I  beg  your  pardon,  Sam ;  I  do  sincerely.  My  only 
thought  was  to  save  you  from  further  trouble  and  your 
mother  needless  suffering.  Sam,  I  would  do  anything 
in  honor  for  you,  because — Sam — because — "  and  she 
twined  her  arms  about  the  neck  of  the  one  who  was 
still  her  idol — "because  I — I — love  you " 

" Don't  be  a  fool,  Lettie!  I've  got  other  things  to 
•t 


322  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

think  of  now,"  and  he  roughly  disengaged  himself  from 
her  embrace. 

Lettie  drew  back  quickly,  her  face  scarlet.  For  a 
moment  she  was  speechless.  Then  tears  of  pain  and 
mortification  sprang  into  her  eyes.  Controlling  herself 
at  last,  she  said : 

"  Mr.  Hawkins,  forgive  me.  I  did  not  mean  to  force 
myself  on  you.  Perhaps  my  zeal  for  your  well-being 
has  made  me  forgetful  of  my  own  dignity.  You  knew 
long  ago  that  what  I  said  was  true,  and  you  must  re- 
member what  you  said ;  but  I  will  never  repeat  it,  or 
give  you  any  further  uneasiness  on  that  score.  I  can 
not  leave  you  now  until  you  promise  me  not  to  injure 
Norine.  Will  you  take  me  to  her  and  let  me  save  you 
from  further  disgrace  ? " 

"  No !  You  may  as  well  say  no  more  about  that,"  an- 
swered Sam,  angrily. 

"  But,"  she  persisted,  "  will  you  tell  me  where  Norine 
is  ?  Is  she  safe  and  well  ?  And — will  no  harm  come 
to  her  ? " 

"  That  is  none  of  your  business.  You  do  as  I  tell 
you  and  don't  interfere  further,"  answered  Sam,  petu- 
lantly. 

Lettie' s  patience  was  sorely  tried.  With  some  show 
of  returning  spirit,  she  asked :  "  What  if  I  should  refuse 
to  do  as  you  say,  but  should  tell  all  I  know  about  this 
affair  ?  If  I  am  asked  in  court,  shall  I  not  have  to  tell 
the  truth  ?  If  I  thought  that  you  had  wronged  or  in- 
jured Norine,  I  could  never  rest  till  the  wrong  was 
righted — even  though " 

"  It  took  me  to  prison  ?  I  know  what  you  were  going 
to  say,"  and,  rushing  forward  in  a  sudden  spasm  of 
rage,  Sam  seized  the  girl  by  the  throat  and  bore  her  to 
the  ground. 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  323 

"  Tell  on  me — will  you  ?  Tell  on  me  ? "  he  hissed 
through  his  clenched  teeth.  "  What  if  I  should  choke 
the  last  breath  from  your  lying  throat  ? "  and  his  brutal 
nails  sank  deeper  and  deeper  into  the  delicate,  quiver- 
ing flesh.  "  Will  you  do  as  I  want  you  to,  or  will  you 
tell  on  me,  you  false  hussy  ? " 

Only  a  choking  gurgle  came  from  the  distorted 
mouth.  Suddenly  Sam  released  his  hold  and  peered 
into  the  face  of  his  victim.  It  was  purple ;  the  tongue 
protruded,  the  bulging,  unseeing  eyes  stared  at  him  in 
the  growing  darkness.  He  sprang  to  his  feet  and 
looked  hastily  around. 

"  My  God !  I've  gone  too  far ! "  he  muttered,  shak- 
ing like  a  leaf.  He  stooped  and  gazed  searchingly  at 
the  prostrate  figure. 

"  Lettie !  Lettie ! "  he  whispered  hoarsely,  shaking 
her  in  a  vain  effort  to  bring  some  response ;  then  in  a 
sudden  panic  of  fear  he  sprang  to  his  feet  and  hurried 
away  from  the  spot. 


Lydia  Green  glanced  at  the  clock  and  remarked  a 
little  nervously  that  it  was  time  for  Lettie  to  be  back 
home.  Seward  Rathaway  was  there,  waiting  for  her 
also. 

"  She  ought  not  to  have  started  out  so  late  to  go 
alone  up  to  Hawkins's,"  he  said.  "  It  is  a  good  two 
miles  up  there  and  the  road  is  dark  and  lonesome 
enough  for  men,  to  say  nothing  of  a  girl." 

"  I  know  it,"  admitted  her  aunt,  "  but  the  poor  girl  is 
so  upset  about  Norine ;  and  after  she  heard  that  Sam 
was  suspected  of  having  a  hand  in  the  abduction  she 
wished  to  go.  I  urged  her  for  a  while  to  keep  away,  as 
they  had  trouble  enough  of  their  own.  But  when  she 


324  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

saw  Torn  Moore  go  by,  she  was  sure  he  had  some  news, 
and  then  she  must  go,  so  at  last  I  gave  in.  I  am  get- 
ting to  be  a  little  worried  about  her  now,  though." 

"  Well,  Auntie,  I'll  take  a  stroll  up  the  road  to  see  if 
I  can  meet  her.  Hope  she  hasn't  been  abducted,"  and 
with  a  forced  smile  he  sauntered  away. 

When  he  reached  the  glen,  Seward  thought  he  heard 
angry  voices ;  listening  more  intently  he  became  sure 
of  this,  and  hastened  to  investigate.  As  he  drew  near 
the  spot  whence  came  the  sounds  of  altercation,  he  dis- 
covered that  his  cousin  and  Sam  Hawkins  were  wran- 
gling about  something.  He  could  not  catch  what  was 
said  and  hesitated  to  interrupt  a  private  conversation. 
At  that  moment  the  voices  ceased,  and  after  pausing  a 
few  moments  to  hear  whether  there  would  be  a  renewal 
of  the  dispute,  he  went  forward  in  time  to  see  Sam  start 
off  up  the  road  alone.  Lettie  was  not  to  be  seen.  Puz- 
zled at  this,  he  quickened  his  pace,  and  was  about  to 
call  to  Sam  when  he  stumbled  over  a  prostrate  form  in 
the  road. 

It  took  but  an  instant  to  discover  that  this  was  his 
cousin,  whom  he  was  seeking. 

"  That  arch  fiend  has  been  doing  some  more  of  his 
hellish  work!  Lettie,  Lettie,  are  you  hurt?"  and, 
stooping  to  raise  her,  he  uttered  a  cry  of  horror. 

Hastily  raising  the  limp  form  to  a  sitting  posture,  he 
chafed  her  temples  and  her  hands  and  sought  as  best 
he  could  to  restore  life  to  the  apparently  lifeless  body. 
Soon  he  felt  a  quiver;  then  she  began  to  gasp  and 
moan. 

"  Thank  God,  she  lives ! "  he  exclaimed.  "  Heavens ! 
what  a  narrow  escape." 

Without  an  instant's  delay  he  lifted  his  cousin  in  his 
arms  and  hastened  back  to  his  aunt's  home.  Not  a 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  325 

moment  must  be  lost.  When  he  reached  the  house, 
Aunt  Lydia  was  outside,  waiting  for  him. 

"  Here,  Auntie,  get  some  hot  water  bandages  at  once 
and  put  them  around  Lettie's  neck.  Not  a  moment  for 
questions!  I'll  tell  you  all  about  it  later!"  Lydia 
Green  was  a  methodical  woman,  and  although  greatly 
unnerved  at  the  sight  of  poor  Lettie's  condition,  she 
saw  the  necessity  of  prompt  action.  In  a  few  moments 
the  compresses  were  ready. 

"  Keep  these  up,  Auntie,  till  I  return.  I  must  go 
for  the  doctor,"  and  away  Seward  sped  toward  the  vil- 
lage. When  he  returned  post-haste  with  old  Doctor 
Landseer,  Lettie  was  just  regaining  consciousness.  As 
she  opened  her  eyes  and  saw  that  she  was  in  her  own 
home,  she  smiled  in  recognition  of  Seward,  who  was 
bending  over  her;  then  she  closed  her  eyes  once  more. 

"She  has  been  strangled,  Doctor — "  Lettie's  eyes 
opened  again  and  looked  so  pleadingly  into  the  eyes 
of  Seward  that  he  quickly  understood  their  eloquent 
entreaty. 

"As  I  was  saying,  Doctor,  she  was  strangled  and 
left  for  dead  on  the  road."  Again  an  agonizing  look  of 
appeal  arrested  Seward's  words.  He  returned  the  gaze, 
and  smiling  tenderly  at  his  cousin,  who  in  her  extremity 
desired  still  to  protect  the  man  who  had  so  nearly  killed 
her,  nodded  his  head  knowingly. 

"  The  poor  girl  is  dazed  at  the  experience  she  has 
gone  through,"  said  the  doctor. 

"  Yes.  I  saw  two  men — "  those  eyes  were  now  again 
looking  him  full  in  the  face — "  they  were,  I  think,  at- 
tempting to  abduct  her  when  they  heard  me  coming, 
and  fled  up  the  road.  I  shouldn't  wonder  if  they  be- 
longed to  some  gang,  and  are  the  same  ones  who  kid- 
napped Norine  Maloney  Saturday  night."  Seward 


326  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

again  glanced  at  the  upturned  eyes,  and  saw  there  a 
look  of  gratitude. 

His  first  impulse  was  to  denounce  Sam  and  have 
him  brought  to  justice;  but  he  could  not  ignore  the 
plainly  expressed  wishes  of  his  cousin,  and  so  refrained 
from  carrying  out  his  intention,  which  he  admitted  to 
himself,  on  second  thought,  might  result  disastrously 
for  more  than  Sam. 


This  unhappy  youth,  meanwhile,  had  hastened  away 
from  the  girl  who  he  supposed  was  dead.  His  first 
impulse  was  to  flee  and  escape  all  his  troubles  at  once ; 
but  a  moment's  consideration  convinced  him  that  this 
would  be  the  most  dangerous  course  he  could  pursue. 
It  would  amount  to  a  confession  of  guilt,  and  the 
chances  of  capture  were  too  great.  Better  face  it  out, 
throwing  suspicion  elsewhere  if  possible. 

"I  had  to  do  it  in  self-defense,"  he  told  himself. 
"  She  would  have  blabbed  on  me.  Well,  now  she  can't 
— that's  one  comfort.  After  all,  it's  better  as  it  is — for 
another  reason — if  only  I  can  keep  them  from  suspect- 
ing me — bah!  I'm  trembling.  This  will  never  do. 
Can't  afford  to  be  chicken-hearted.  There's  no  time 
to  lose  if  I'm  going  to  start  things  going  my  way." 

Thus  musing  he  approached  his  father's  farm.  Some 
one  was  just  coming  down  the  road.  Sam  braced  him- 
self with  an  effort.  In  a  moment  he  recognized  Tom 
Moore  and  called  out  to  him  in  as  off-hand  a  manner 
as  he  could  command : 

"  By  Jove !  Tom,  deuced  glad  to  see  you,  don't  you 
know.  I  thought  for  a  while  to-day,  though,  that  you 
had  it  up  your  sleeve  for  me,  and  was  believing  the  vile 
rumors  set  afloat  by  busybodies — by  my  enemies,  don't 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  327 

you  know.  But  I  forgive  you  freely,  Tom,  for  you  had 
a  duty  to  perform,  and  did  it  nobly.  How  fortunate 
that  you  were  there  to  unmask  the  villainy  of  that  tramp 
just  as  he  was  going  to  slip  out  of  your  fingers.  Quite 
a  clever  catch.  Really  good  in  the  fellow,  though,  to 
run  such  a  risk  for  a  stranger ;  eh,  Tom  ? " 

"  Yas,  it  wus  good  in  'im,  I  'low,"  said  Tom,  extend- 
ing his  hand  to  Sam,  "an'  o'  course  he  must  hev  jus- 
tice done  'im,  fer  all  he's  nothin'  but  a  sneakin'  tramp. 
How  I  come  ter  get  onter  him  was  the  stars  on  his 
heels.  You  know  you  hed  some  put  on  your'n  an' 
thet's  how  I  come  to  suspect  ye.  I  saw  them  marks 
'way  out  at  the  foot  of  Sturgeon  Slough,  in  the  mud, 
an'  when  thet  stranger  begun  ter  talk  I  begun  ter  look 
at  foot-gear.  I  looked  at  your'n  an'  saw  ye  hed  on  yer 
huntin'  boots.  I  concluded  to  onct  thet  they  were  not 
your  tracks.  But  when  I  saw  his'n  my  eyes  bulged 
out  like  saucers,  fer  I  knew  I  had  'im  jest  es  plain  es 
though  I  hed  already  seen  the  telltale  stars.  When  I 
saw  'em,  then  I  was  sure  enough  of  my  man  to  put  on 
the  bracelets.  My !  but  the  feller  must  be  a  cool  one. 
He  ast  ter  hev  a  jug  o'  Pete's  best  laid  in  with  'im  fer 
the  night,  an'  ter  accommerdate  'im  I  gave  'im  one. 
But  say,  Sam,  forgive  me  fer  whut  I  did,  won't  ye  ? 
I'll  acknowledge  my  mistake  afore  the  hull  Kag,  ef  ye 
say  so,"  and  Tom  gave  a  twist  to  Sam's  hand. 

"  That  is  all  right,  Tom.  I  harbor  no  ill-will.  Mis- 
takes will  be  made,  don't  you  know,  and  honest  ones, 
too.  By  the  way,  better  keep  your  eye  out  for  a  couple 
of  suspicious  fellows  down  below.  When  passing  by 
the  Wilford  road  I  saw  two  men  who  looked  as  though 
they  wanted  to  avoid  me.  After  I  had  passed  they 
went  on  down  the  road,  and  you  may  overtake  them. 
There  seems  to  be  a  gang  of  strange  men  in  the  neigh- 


328  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

borhood  just  now.  When  do  you  have  a  hearing  for 
your  prisoner  ? " 

"To-morrer,  I  think;  an'  be  on  han',  will  ye — you 
an'  the  rest  o'  the  boys  ?  The  people  are  hard  set  agin 
'im  down  't  the  Kag.  You  fellers  did  nobly  to  stan'  by 
in  thet  storm  o'  this  afternoon,  an'  we  may  need  ye 
agin,"  said  Tom,  as  he  started  down  the  road. 

"  Yes,  we  will  be  there.  We  want  the  poor  devil  to 
be  humanely  treated,  even  though  he  is  guilty.  We 
may  be  able  to  touch  his  heart,  so  he  will  tell  us  what 
has  become  of  his  victim.  Poor  girl,  I  can't  rest,  won- 
dering where  she  is.  Well,  good-night,  Tom ;  we'll  be 
on  hand  bright  and  early,"  and  the  two  men  parted. 

"  Deuced  good  luck  that  I  met  him,"  muttered  Sam, 
nervously.  "  Now  if  he  stumbles  over  that  fool  down 
there  in  the  road  he'll  connect  the  find  with  those  sus- 
picious persons  that  I  didn't  see.  That  was  a  clever 
thought.  I  hope  the  chump  will  believe  it." 

While  the  conscienceless  wretch  was  congratulating 
himself  on  his  astuteness,  he  was  treading,  unknown  to 
himself,  on  the  crust  of  a  slumbering  volcano. 


CHAPTER   XXIV 

"  Now  to  keep  up  the  bluff,"  thought  Sam  as  he  con- 
tinued his  way  toward  his  home  after  parting  with  Tom 
Moore.  "  It  would  be  a  good  stroke  just  now  to  mollify 
that  confounded  Irishman.  He's  hatching  up  trouble, 
I'll  be  bound.  Wonder  if  I  can  get  around  him. 
Perhaps  I  might  try  on  a  pious  dodge  for  a  few  days 
till  this  thing  blows  over.  'Twould  please  the  old  lady 
and  shut  Barney's  mouth.  If  I  can  only  keep  out  of 
the  way  of  Allen,  it  may  work." 

Sam  found  himself  getting  into  deep  water.  The 
thought  of  coming  into  close  contact  with  the  minister 
frightened  him  almost  as  much  as  the  possibility  of 
discovery.  His  parents,  the  neighbors,  and  even  Barney 
might  believe  him  if  he  should  profess  a  change  of  heart, 
but  could  he  look  into  those  deep,  honest  eyes  of  the 
minister  and  make  him  believe  such  hypocrisy  ?  Of 
course,  if  he  could  manage  to  avoid  him — .  There  was 
not  time  now  to  plan  a  definite  course ;  here  he  was  at 
the  gate,  and  Barney  was  standing  there  alone,  discon- 
solate, and  absorbed  in  his  unhappy  thoughts.  Sam 
hesitated  a  moment,  then  accosted  him  with  a  bold  dis- 
play of  cordiality. 

"  Hallo,  Barney.  What  are  you  doing  out  here  in 
the  dark  ?  Come  into  the  house,  man,  and  cheer  up. 
Brooding  won't  help  matters." 

Barney  moved  away  from  the  gate  without  replying, 
but  the  other  refused  to  be  repulsed.  He  extended  his 

hand  and  exclaimed : 

320 


330  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

"  Come,  Barney,  why  can't  we  be  friends  ?  We  have 
had  our  outs  long  enough,  and  I  want  to  tell  you  of  my 
sorrow  at  your  misfortunes.  Cheer  up,  for  I  feel  sure 
that  before  long  Norine  will  be  safely  restored  to  us. 
When  the  screws  have  been  tightened  upon  that  hobo 
down  there  in  jail,  he  will  weaken  and  tell  us  where 
she  is." 

The  young  Irishman  hesitated.  His  heart  was  burst- 
ing with  grief  and  self-blame.  He  had  been  standing 
alone  in  the  darkness  ever  since  Tom  had  left  him, 
brooding  over  the  unhappy  event  of  Saturday  night, 
and  racking  his  brain  for  some  plan  by  which  he  might 
find  Norine  and  restore  her  to  her  stricken  parents. 
He  had  hardly  heard  Sam's  first  greeting,  and  when  he 
did  at  last  grasp  the  meaning  of  the  words  he  was  puz- 
zled and  embarrassed  rather  than  pleased.  The  enmity 
between  him  and  Sam  was  one  which  could  hardly  be 
brushed  aside  in  a  moment,  especially  when  Norine, 
whom  Sam  had  so  recently  threatened,  was  mysteri- 
ously missing.  Moreover,  suspicion  had  fastened  itself 
in  Barney's  mind  so  firmly,  that  even  Tom's  report 
concerning  the  tramp  had  hardly  removed  it.  Still 
Sam's  words  seemed  fair  enough,  and  Barney  was  not 
at  that  moment  sufficiently  attentive  to  discern  the 
false  ring  to  them. 

"  You  an'  me  ain't  got  much  ter  shake  ban's  on,  I'm 
thinkin',"  said  Barney,  slowly.  "  They  tell  me  a  tramp's 
after  bein'  jugged  fer  doin'  thet  cowardly  work  night 
'fore  last.  Tellin'  ye  the  truth,  I  'spected  some  one 
else.  I  don't  want  ter  do  ye  any  injustice,  an'  I  hope 
ye  had  nothin'  ter  do  with  the  matter,  but  ef  ye  did — 
I'd  brek  ivery  bone  in  yer  body ! " 

"  Of  course,  Barney,"  replied  Sam,  ignoring  Barney's 
lack  of  cordiality,  "  matters  did  look  dark  for  me,  don't 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  331 

you  know,  especially  after  that  little  difference  of  ours. 
I  can't  blame  you  for  your  suspicions.  But  thanks  to 
the  acuteness  of  Tom  Moore  I  have  been  cleared  even 
from  suspicion.  Shall  you  attend  the  hearing  to-mor- 
row ? " 

"  I  intind  to  be  there,"  replied  Barney,  shortly. 

"  Here  comes  father,"  said  Sam,  looking  up.  "  Well, 
father,  how  are  yoi>  to-night,  and  how  is  mother  ? "  he 
continued,  as  his  father  approached. 

Farmer  Hawkins  was  taken  by  surprise  and  did  not 
answer  at  once.  He  peered  at  his  son,  trying  to  make 
out  his  face  in  the  darkness.  Sam's  tone  and  manner 
were  so  unusual  that  he  was  at  a  loss  to  account  for 
them.  When  he  replied,  his  words  came  slowly,  with 
a  deep  sadness  and  solemnity  which  struck  a  chill  to 
his  son's  heart. 

"  I'm  afraid  your  mother  is  dying  of  a  broken  heart, 
Sam." 

All  of  Sam's  easy  manner  and  forced  carelessness  of 
tone  seemed  to  slip  away  from  him  in  a  moment.  A 
sinking  sensation  almost  like  faintness  possessed  him 
and  made  it  hard  to  speak,  but  he  managed  to  falter, 
hardly  knowing  what  he  said : 

"  I'm  sorry,  father — I  suppose  I  have  been  a  little 
wild — but  I  never  meant  any  real  harm.  I — I  hope 
you — or  mother  don't  believe  I  had  anything  to  do  with 
— the  disappearance  of  Norine.  I— really  didn't.  Tom 
has  just  been  telling  Barney  that  he  has  captured  a 
tramp  and  can  prove  he  is  the  guilty  one.  It  was  hard 
for  me  to  be  suspected,  but  I  suppose  it  was  my  own 
fault — and  I've  made  up  my  mind  to — to — well,  you 
know,  to  turn  over  a  new  leaf,  and  try  to— to — oh,  be 
better,  you  know." 

It  seemed  impossible  to  get  his  sentences  out,  as  he 


332  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

began  to  realize,  with  a  sickening  disgust,  how  thor- 
oughly he  despised  himself.  When  his  father  put  his 
arm  tenderly  around  his  shoulder  and  exclaimed  in  a 
voice  choking  with  joy,  "  God  help  you,  my  son ! "  the 
shame  and  desire  to  escape  were  almost  too  much  for 
him ;  but  his  father  drew  him  on  to  the  house.  In  the 
sitting-room  they  paused. 

"  Wait  here  a  minute,  my  boy ;  I  want  to  see  Mother." 

In  the  sick-room  he  stood  looking  down  on  the  closed 
eyes  of  his  wife  for  a  moment  or  two.  Presently  she 
looked  up  into  his  face  wistfully. 

"Mother,  dear,"  he  said,  "are  you  feeling  strong 
enough  this  evening  to  talk  a  little  ? " 

"  Yes,  Josiah ;  have  you  any  news  from  Norine — or 
— or  Sam  ? "  A  heartf ul  of  longing  spoke  in  her  feeble 
voice. 

Josiah  drew  his  chair  close  by  the  bedside,  while  Mrs. 
Maloney  went  to  the  window  to  look  out  into  the  night. 
He  reached  over  and  took  his  wife's  hand  in  his  and 
gently  stroked  it.  He  wanted  to  speak,  but  at  each  at- 
tempt a  great  lump  came  into  his  throat,  and  he  could 
not  utter  a  word.  Finally,  raising  the  feverish  hand  to 
his  lips,  he  kissed  it  again  and  again,  and  then  broke 
down  completely,  the  tears  welling  from  his  eyes  and 
falling  upon  the  hand  he  held. 

"  What  are  you  crying  for,  Josiah ;  any  bad  news  ? " 
and  she  placed  her  disengaged  hand  softly  upon  his 
head. 

"  No,  Susan,  no  bad  news ;  but  I  was  wondering  if 
you  could  bear  to  hear  some  good  news  ? "  and  he  gazed 
tenderly  at  the  sharer  of  his  joys  and  sorrows. 

"  What  is  it,  Josiah  ?  Tell  me,"  and  the  eyes  bright- 
ened. 

"  Our  Sam  has  returned,  and  he  hadn't  anything  to 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  333 

do  with  taking  Norine  away.  Besides,  Susan,"  and  he 
clasped  her  hand  tighter,  "  he  says  he  is  sorry  for  being 
so  wild,  and  is  going  to  try  to  be  a  good  son  to  us  in 
our  old  age." 

A  heavenly  light  shone  in  the  eyes  of  the  sick  wom- 
an, but  no  other  emotion  was  perceptible. 

"  Where  is  he,  Josiah  ?  " 

"  In  the  sitting-room ;  shall  I  let  him  come  in  here  ? " 

"  Yes;  let  him  come  to  me — my  boy ! " 

As  they  entered  the  sick-room  the  aged  mother 
looked  longingly  at  them  and  beckoned  them  nearer. 
Sam  hung  his  head,  unable  to  meet  that  pure  gaze. 
He  moved  nearer  the  bed,  but  did  not  offer  to  speak. 
As  he  beheld  the  change  which  had  come  over  his 
mother's  features  since  he  last  saw  them,  only  two  days 
before,  his  heart  began  to  throb,  and  he  reached  out 
and  took  her  by  the  hand. 

"  What  is  it,  mother  ? "     His  voice  was  choking. 

"Sam,  darling,  kneel  down  by  the  bedside  as  you 
used  to  do  when  a  child.  There,  that  is  right.  Take 
my  hands  in  yours,  my  boy ;  hold  them  tight.  I  feel 
that  I  can  not  be  with  you  long.  Sam,  is  it  true  that 
you  are  converted  and  are  going  to  live  an  upright, 
useful  life  ? "  The  mother  gazed  longingly  at  her  way- 
ward son. 

"Repent,  repent!"  came  the  voice  of  conscience, 
grown  suddenly  bold.  But  the  sight  of  a  struggling 
girl  pleading  for  life,  and  another  face,  distorted  in 
agony,  rose  before  his  mind,  and  he  would  not  listen 
to  the  "  still,  small  voice."  Yet  he  stammered  almost 
inaudibly : 

"  I'll  try,  mother,"  and  bowed  his  head  lower. 

"  Josiah,  turn  up  the  light !  It  is  dark,  and  I  want 
to  see  you  and  our  boy  kneeling  together." 


334  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

Josiah,  doing  as  he  was  bidden,  came  to  the  bedside 
and  there  knelt  in  silence. 

Mrs.  Maloney,  a  few  minutes  later,  came  softly  over 
to  where  they  knelt,  and,  touching  the  elder  man  on  the 
shoulder,  bade  him  rise.  As  he  rose,  the  hand  which 
had  been  placed  on  his  head  fell  listlessly  on  the  bed. 
Mrs.  Maloney  then  touched  Sam,  also.  All  was  solemn 
and  quiet.  With  bowed  heads  the  two  stood  for  an  in- 
stant. Hearing  sobs  behind  them,  they  raised  their 
heads  and  turned  to  learn  the  cause.  Mrs.  Maloney 
stood  there,  her  face  suffused  in  tears.  She  pointed 
mutely  toward  the  bed.  A  beautiful  smile  played  over 
the  features  of  wife,  mother,  and  friend. 

"  Great  God !  is  mother  dead  ? "  and  the  wicked  and 
hardened  son  fell  prone  upon  the  bed,  tears  coming 
thick  and  fast  as  he  gave  way  to  an  agony  of  remorse. 
Then  a  horrible  thought  came  rushing  into  his  heart. 
Over  and  over  he  repeated  to  himself  with  a  terrible 
conviction,  "  Now  she'll  know !  she'll  knosv ! "  All  his 
crimes  would  be  revealed  to  her.  She  would  know 
that  he  had  knelt  by  her  dying  bed  with  a  lie  upon  his 
lips.  He  scarcely  realized  the  infinitely  more  dreadful 
fact  that  an  angry  God  saw  him  and  knew  him  through 
and  through.  It  seemed  more  real,  more  shameful,  that 
the  mother  who  had  just  placed  her  hand  on  his  head 
in  blessing,  who  had  smiled  with  a  holy  joy  in  the  be- 
lief of  his  innocence  and  conversion,  could  now  see 
him  in  all  his  black-hearted  hypocrisy.  An  awful  fear 
that  he  was  lost  beyond  hope,  shut  out  forever  from 
the  heaven  to  which  his  mother  had  just  gone,  over- 
whelmed him.  Even  the  timid  voice  of  conscience  was 
still.  He  trembled,  fearing  to  rise  and  face  his  father. 
For  a  long  time  he  remained,  hiding  his  face  in  the  bed- 
clothes. At  length  he  lifted  his  head  furtively  and 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  335 

found  the  room  was  almost  dark.  Mrs.  Maloney  had 
turned  the  wick  of  the  lamp  low  and  left  the  room. 
Farmer  Hawkins  was  still  kneeling  by  the  head  of  the 
bed  absorbed  in  his  great  sorrow.  Sam  rose  softly  and 
tiptoed  to  the  door.  Without  a  sound  he  turned  the 
latch  and  passed  out  of  the  room.  Then,  grasping  his 
hat  from  the  little  table  in  the  hall,  he  fled  from  the 
house  like  an  evil  spirit. 

For  more  than  an  hour  he  wandered  restlessly  about 
the  farm  in  the  darkness.  He  dreaded  to  sleep  in  the 
house  where  every  object,  every  sound,  every  shadow 
would  remind  him  of  the  mother  lying  there  still  and 
cold.  He  feared  that  her  spirit  might  come  to  his  bed- 
side and  charge  him  with  his  horrible  sins  and  his 
hypocritical  lies.  More  than  once  he  was  on  the  point 
of  yielding  to  an  impulse  to  go  to  the  village  and  spend 
the  night  in  Pete's  place,  lulled  by  strong  drink ;  but  the 
sight  of  an  agonized  face,  with  protruding  tongue  and 
bulging  eyeballs,  confronted  him.  No,  he  could  not 
pass  that  spot  on  the  road  by  night,  even  to  escape  from 
his  present  plight.  Finally  he  crept  into  the  barn  and 
lay  down  in  the  hay  until  daylight  came.  As  the  first 
rays  of  light  penetrated  the  little  square  gable-window 
he  left  the  barn,  taking  care  not  to  be  seen,  and  hastened 
by  a  circuitous  route  to  Red-Keg.  He  roused  Pete  and 
made  him  give  him  a  breakfast.  The  troublesome 
thoughts  that  had  haunted  him  the  night  before  had 
slipped  away  with  the  darkness.  What  a  fool  he  had 
been,  he  told  himself,  to  give  in  to  such  mawkish  senti- 
mentality. It  was  a  desperate  game  he  had  to  play, 
and  it  required  all  his  nerve  and  self-possession.  Much 
remained  yet  to  be  done.  It  was  necessary  to  brace  up 
and  be  ready  to  meet  all  questions  and  repel  all  attacks. 

Before  the  morning  was  far  advanced  he  learned  that 


336  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

Lettie  had  been  found  and  was  on  the  road  to  recovery. 
The  news  at  first  brought  him  relief  and  fear.  At  least 
he  was  not  a  murderer ;  but  had  she  told,  or  would  she 
tell,  who  had  made  the  attack  upon  her  ?  When,  how- 
ever, he  heard  that  it  was  Seward  who  found  her,  and 
that  they  had  given  out  a  statement  involving  two  un- 
known strangers,  he  smiled  grimly,  and  congratulated 
himself  on  the  fortunate  coincidence  that  their  fiction 
agreed  precisely  with  the  one  which  he,  on  the  spur  of 
the  moment,  had  given  to  Tom  Moore.  He  was  at  a 
loss  to  know  whether  or  not  Seward  suspected  him. 
Never  mind ;  he  would  find  out  soon  enough. 

The  attack  on  Lettie,  coming  so  soon  after  the  ab- 
duction of  Norine,  created  not  only  an  unparalleled  sen- 
sation, but  a  feeling  of  alarm  on  behalf  of  the  other 
young  women  of  the  neighborhood.  The  Red-Keggers 
and  others  for  miles  around  were  wrought  up  to  such  a 
high  pitch  of  excitement  that  an  informal  meeting  was 
called  before  noon  at  Jake  Vogel's  store  to  form  a  vigi- 
lance committee  for  protection  and  for  hunting  the 
scoundrels  down.  Seward  Rathaway  was  present,  and 
at  his  own  request  was  placed  on  the  committee. 

Before  the  meeting  adjourned,  Barney  arrived  from 
the  Hawkins  farm  with  the  sad  news  of  Mother  Haw- 
kins's death.  He  had  heard,  also,  of  the  attack  on 
Lettie,  and  was  filled  with  new  dread  lest  Norine  had 
suffered  in  like  manner.  Although  he  and  Tom  Moore 
had  bent  every  effort  and  taxed  their  ingenuity  to  the 
utmost,  they  had  been  unable  thus  far  to  get  any  trace 
of  the  missing  girl.  John  Maloney,  with  several  of  his 
neighbors,  had  continued  to  scour  the  woods,  but  with 
no  better  result.  The  only  immediate  hope  of  learning 
anything  seemed  to  lie  in  the  possibility  of  getting  the 
tramp  to  tell  something  more  than  he  had  done;  but 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  337 

Norine's  father  and  Tom  Moore  had  cross-questioned 
him  in  vain. 

The  death  of  Mother  Hawkins  and  the  attack  on 
Lettie  Green  led  to  a  postponement  of  the  hearing  be- 
fore Justice  Frost  until  Thursday  morning.  The  whole 
village  turned  out  to  honor  her  memory.  Robert  Allen 
had  been  with  the  bereaved  husband  from  the  very 
first,  and  had  comforted  him  by  sharing  his  grief  and 
pointing  him  steadily  to  the  source  of  all  comfort.  Jo- 
siah  had  often  asked  for  his  son,  but  Sam  avoided  him 
now  as  carefully  as  he  avoided  the  minister.  He 
would  have  stayed  away  from  the  funeral  if  he  had 
dared ;  but  he  feared  to  attract  notice  and  suspicion,  so 
at  the  last  moment,  when  the  opportunity  for  conver- 
sation was  at  an  end,  he  came  to  the  large  room  in  the 
ell  of  the  house  where  the  ceremony  was  to  be  held, 
and  took  a  place  in  the  doorway.  Even  Joseph  Waters, 
the  schoolmaster,  whose  leg  was  only  partially  recov- 
ered, managed  to  come  in  a  buggy  with  the  help  of 
crutches,  and  the  more  indispensable  help  of  Axcy 
Marthy.  It  was  evident  to  all  that  they  understood 
each  other  perfectly,  for  they  made  no  secret  of  their 
love.  Ros  Whitmore  was  unable  to  come.  The 
broken  bone  was  not  yet  firmly  enough  knit  together 
to  allow  moving.  He  sent  his  wife  Jule  in  his  place. 
Lettie  Green  was  there,  her  throat  still  bandaged. 
Sam  did  not  see  her  when  he  entered.  Indeed,  it  had 
not  occurred  to  him  that  she  might  be  present.  At 
one  end  of  the  long  room  was  the  coffin  surrounded  with 
spring  flowers.  Near  it,  with  bowed  head,  already  in 
the  winter  of  life,  sat  Josiah,  in  the  presence  of  a  host 
of  his  friends — yet  so  lonely. 

Robert  Allen  stood  up  silently  before  them  all  for  a 
moment  or  two,  seeking  to  control  his  own  feelings. 


338  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

He  asked  some  one  to  start  the  hymn,  and  Dan  Under- 
bill, in  a  rich  baritone,  began,  rather  huskily  at  first,  but 
gaining  in  volume  and  melody  as  he  proceeded : 

"  Asleep  in  Jesus!  blessed  sleep, 
From  which  none  ever  wakes  to  weep; 
A  calm  and  undisturb'd  repose, 
Unbroken  by  the  last  of  foes. 

"  Asleep  in  Jesus!  peaceful  rest, 
Whose  waking  is  supremely  blest; 
No  fear,  no  woe,  shall  dim  that  hour 
That  manifests  the  Saviour's  power." 

Several  verses  of  the  hymn  were  sung.  As  the  last 
words  died  away,  the  minister  began  to  read  quietly 
from  the  fourteenth  chapter  of  John's  Gospel.  In  a 
few  simple  words  he  brought  the  promise  in  the  eight- 
eenth verse  home  to  the  sorrowing  hearts  before  him. 
"  I  will  not  leave  you  comfortless."  The  love  of  friend 
for  friend,  of  parent  for  child,  of  husband  for  wife,  was 
a  precious  thing,  and  the  breaking  of  such  ties  was  for 
the  moment  grievous ;  but  the  love  of  Christ,  the  per- 
sonal companionship  with  Him,  was  far  more  precious, 
and  nothing  could  separate  us  from  the  love  of  Christ. 
When  the  companionship  of  the  dearest  on  earth  was 
taken  away,  the  personal  presence  of  Christ  would 
more  than  compensate.  "  I  will  not  leave  you  comfort- 
less :  I  will  come  to  you."  What  heart  could  be  lonely 
with  such  a  tender,  loving  companion,  walking  with  us 
when  we  walk,  sitting  with  us  in  the  stillness  of  our 
chamber,  helping  us  with  our  burdens  ?  "  In  my  Fa- 
ther's house  are  many  mansions  ...  1  go  to  prepare 
a  place  for  you."  What  better  preparation  of  a  heav- 
enly mansion  could  there  be  than  the  placing  in  it  of 
the  heart's  loved  one  to  welcome  home  him  who  should 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  339 

come  after  ?  "  Let  not  your  heart  be  troubled,  neither 
let  it  be  afraid."  The  minister's  voice  thrilled  with 
meaning  as  he  repeated  the  verse. 

"There  are  things  which  trouble  us  and  make  us 
afraid  at  times,"  he  said,  "  — things  far  out  of  the  com- 
mon little  affairs  of  life.  Such  things  have  happened 
among  us  during  the  past  few  days.  We  have  seen 
two  of  our  number — tenderly  nurtured  lambs  of  the 
flock — cruelly  seized  upon, — one  of  them  torn  from  her 
home  and  taken  away  to  what  fate  we  know  not ;  an- 
other barely  saved  from  death  inflicted  by  brutal  hands. 
Our  hearts  are  troubled  and  afraid.  We  know  not  what 
to  do.  We  have  searched  and  have  not  found.  What 
shall  we  do  ? " 

The  minister's  voice  suddenly  rose  to  a  cry  full  of 
solemn  prophecy,  which  rang  through  the  room  and 
pierced  the  inmost  hearts  of  all  who  heard  it. 

"  Listen  to  the  Psalmist ! "  he  cried :  " 4  Shall  not 
God  search  this  out  ?  for  He  knovveth  the  secrets  of 
the  heart.' " 

A  moment  of  awe- filled  silence  followed.  All  eyes 
were  riveted  on  the  minister;  thus  none  of  his  hearers 
noticed  a  pallid,  cringing,  trembling  figure  slip  away 
from  a  seat  near  the  door,  and  disappear. 

" '  Let  not  your  heart  be  troubled,  neither  let  it  be 
afraid  .  .  .  I  will  not  leave  you  comfortless:  I  will 
come  to  you,' "  continued  the  minister,  with  another 
sudden  change  to  tenderness.  "We  need  Christ's 
presence  and  His  comfort  at  just  such  times  as  this,  if 
ever  at  all,  If  we  will  accept  it,  He  will  be  as  good  as 
His  word  and  give  us  the  help  and  comfort  we 
need.  He  is  ready  to  employ  His  power  where  our 
weakness  has  failed;  to  apply  the  balm  of  His  love 
where  our  hearts  are  bruised  and  sore.  Let  us  sink 


340  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

our  sadness  and  fear  in  the  fathomless  ocean  of  His 
love." 

After  a  more  personal  tribute  to  the  beloved  wife 
whose  body  lay  peacefully  in  the  casket,  but  whose 
spirit  had  gone  to  one  of  the  many  mansions  in  the 
Father's  house,  the  minister  closed  the  service  with  a 
tender,  heartfelt  prayer  for  a  fulfilment  of  the  promise 
which  had  been  brought  to  sorrowing  hearts  in  that 
hour 

In  the  long  line  of  mourners  who  passed  before  the 
casket  for  a  last  look  at  the  face  they  had  all  loved  so 
well,  the  only  son,  for  whom  the  mother's  heart  had 
yearned  and  broken,  was  not  present.  If  any  noticed 
his  absence,  they  held  their  peace.  Robert  Allen,  too, 
held  his  peace,  but  something  he  had  seen  within  the 
past  hour  had  brought  him  more  sorrow  than  the  death 
and  translation  of  his  friend  and  sister  Susan  Hawkins. 


CHAPTER   XXV 

"!N  the  case  of  the  People  of  this  Commonwealth 
against  John  Long,  is  the  defendant  present  ? "  called 
out  Judge  Frost,  glaring  over  the  crowd  in  his  primi- 
tive little  court-room,  the  next  afternoon. 

"  He  is,  your  honor,"  replied  Tom  Moore. 

"  Bring  him  to  the  bar.  Is  this  the  prisoner  ? "  and 
the  judge  looked  over  his  goggles  at  the  man  before 
him. 

"  I'm  the  man,  your  honor,  and  I've  been  waiting  the 
pleasure  of  this  court  for  three  days,"  said  the  prisoner, 
glibly. 

"  Never  mind  that,  sir;  you  are  charged  with  a  most 
heinous  crime,  a  most  abominable  offense  against  the 
peace  and  dignity  of  a  great  State.  What  have  you  to 
say  to  the  charge,  guilty  or  not  guilty  ? " 

"  If  it  please  your  honor,  would  you  kindly  inform 
me  what  this  dreadful  charge  might  be  ? "  inquired  the 
prisoner,  in  a  tone  of  friendly  curiosity. 

"The  charge— the  charge — "  sputtered  the  judge, 
whose  temper  was  becoming  ruffled,  "why,  that  you 
did  witri"  malice  intent  deprive  one  Norine  Maloney  of 
her  liberty — and  that  you  are  now  detaining  her  against 
her  will " 

"  Where,  your  honor  ?  In  the  lockup,  where  I  have 
been  staying  for  the  past  several  days  ?  Oh,  no,  not 
for  Joseph !  Not  that  I  know  of,"  and  he  smiled  tri- 
umphantly at  the  judge. 

"  That  feller's  a  reg'lar  Tartar,  he  is,"  some  one  in  the 
crowded  '"ourt-room  was  heard  to  remark. 

341 


342  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

"Silence  in  the  court!"  thundered  the  judge,  and 
the  stillness  that  followed  was  oppressive. 

Then  after  readjusting  his  spectacles,  which  had 
barely  escaped  a  fall  on  the  floor  during  the  excite- 
ment, the  judge  glanced  again  at  the  paper  which  he 
had  in  his  hand,  held  it  out  at  arm's  length  in  order  to 
read  it,  and  then  looking  over  the  rims  of  his  glasses 
directly  at  the  prisoner,  who  was  the  calmest  one  in  the 
whole  room,  he  continued : 

"  As  I  was  saying,  you  are  charged  with  a  diabolical 
crime  whose  foulness  smells  to  heaven.  Constable," 
turning  his  gaze  from  the  prisoner  to  Tom  Moore, 
"  where  are  your  witnesses  ? " 

"  I  hain't  got  many  witnesses,  jedge;  but  this  feller's 
got  stars  in  his  heels,  an'  me  'n  Barney  seed  tracks  out 
on  the  Sturgeon  Slough  as  jest  fitted  'em,  an'  I  'low  's 
he's  the  chap  as  made  'em — right  there  'long  side  o'  No- 
rine's  dainty  little  footprints.  Here's  Barney  as  '11  tell 
ye  the  same  thing." 

"  Come  to  the  stand,"  said  the  judge,  looking  toward 
Barney.  "  Now,  you  have  heard  what  our  court  officer 
has  said — what  have  you  got  to  offer  against  this  man  ? " 

"  Sure,  Tom's  told  the  truth,  jedge.  We  saw  those 
star  heels  out  there  in  the  mud,"  said  Barney,  hesitat- 
ingly, for  he  was  not  ready  yet  to  be  too  severe  on  the 
tramp,  in  the  absence  of  more  conclusive  proof. 

"  Now,  sir,  what  have  you  to  say  for  yourself  ? "  and 
the  searching  steel-blue  eyes  of  Judge  Frost  again 
peered  at  Long,  seeking  to  pierce  the  prisoner's  mask 
of  effrontery. 

"Judge — your  honor — you  seem  to  have  the  upper 
hand  of  me  at  present.  In  other  words,  the  weight  of 
evidence  looks  to  be  against  me  so  far.  I  came  as  a 
stranger  into  your  community,  and  have  no  witnesses 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  343 

to  speak  up  in  my  behalf.  I  do  not  hanker  to  be  made 
a  celebrity,  and  if  I  had  gone  along  about  my  business 
instead  of  interfering  in  other  people's  affairs  from  the 
kindest  of  motives,  I  wouldn't  be  in  this  scrape.  Judge, 
I  swear  that  I  had  nothing  whatever  to  do  with  the 
disappearance  of  this  young  lady,  and  haven't  any  idea 
where  she  is  now.  I  wish  I  did,  your  honor.  If  you 
will  permit  me,  I " 

"I'll  permit  you  to  keep  silent,"  interrupted  the 
judge.  "The  evidence  says  you're  guilty.  I  don't 
know  whether  you  are  or  not,  though  I  have  my  opin- 
ion. I'll  bind  you  over  to  the  Circuit  Court  in  October 
to  find  out." 

"  Thank  you,  your  honor ;  does  that  mean  that  I  am 
still  detaining  the  young  lady  against  her  will,  and  am 
I  to  keep  possession  of  her  till  October  ? "  timidly  put 
in  the  prisoner, 

"  I'll  fine  you  for  contempt  of  court,"  shouted  the 
judge,  "  if  I  hear  another  word  out  of  your  head ! " 

"  Your  honor,  will  ye  fix  a  bond  for  this  prisoner  ? " 
asked  Tom  Moore. 

"  Yes.  Five  hundred  dollars ! "  and  the  judge  looked 
defiantly  around  the  room,  not  dreaming  that  the  bond 
would  be  forthcoming. 

"  Please  make  out  your  bond  and  release  the  pris- 
oner in  my  custody,"  spoke  up  Walt  Haywood  from 
the  back  of  the  room,  to  the  great  surprise  of  judge 
and  spectators. 

The  bond  was  filled  out,  and,  in  lieu  of  real  estate,  a 
cash  deposit  to  the  amount  of  the  bond  was  accepted. 
In  a  few  moments  the  prisoner  walked  out  of  court  a 
free  man. 

"  My  friend,  whom  have  I  to  thank  Afor  this  great 
kindness  ? "  said  Long,  addressing  the  constable 


344  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

"  He's  one  o'  yer  friends.  Ef  it  hadn't  a'  been  fer 
him  an'  his  pals  ye'd  been  strung  up  the  day  I  put  the 
bracelets  on  ye,"  rather  testily  responded  Tom,  for  he 
was  apparently  displeased  that  the  prisoner  should  be 
released  on  bail  at  all  under  the  circumstances,  as  there 
had  been  no  further  developments  in  the  case,  and  it 
might  yet  prove  to  be  something  worse  than  a  mere 
abduction. 

Approaching  Walt,  the  released  prisoner  was  very 
profuse  in  his  thanks  for  the  disinterested  kindness 
that  had  been  shown  him. 

"  I  assure  you,  my  friend,  upon  the  honor  of  a  gentle- 
man, that  I  appreciate  your  kindness,  and  shall  bear 
you  in  mind  when  I  get  possession  of  my  baronial  estates 
in  old  England.  For  the  present,  however,  let  us  ad- 
journ court  to  Pete's.  That's  something  tangible,  at 
least.  {Sotto  voce?)  I  came  pretty  near  seeing  V'n 
again  last  night — sh — "  and  with  a  wild  look  around 
though  he  expected  to  "  see  'em  "  again,  he  grabbed  the 
arm  of  Walt  for  protection. 

Walt  good-naturedly  assured  the  fellow  that  he  was 
all  right,  and,  as  suggested,  an  adjournment  was  taken 
to  "  Pete's  place."  All  the  boys  were  present,  and  as 
further  demonstrations  were  about  to  be  made  which 
boded  ill  for  the  tramp,  the  whole  party  proposed  to 
give  him  safe  conduct  to  the  saloon  at  least,  and  thither 
many  of  the  crowd  followed.  By  the  time  all  hands 
had  taken  several  "  nips  "  around,  his  trampship  began 
to  get  loquacious. 

"  Gentlemen,"  he  said,  "  I  am  a  stranger  here  in  a 
strange  land.  I  came  among  you  peaceably  enough, 
but  through  some  unfortunate  incidents  or  circum- 
stances I  have  been  the  subject  of  suspicion  and  arrest. 
Gentlemen  of  the  jury — I  mean  gentlemen  of  Red-Keg 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  345 

— I  have  been  released  on  bail,  and  now  whither  shall  I 
go  ?  I  have  no  money  and  I  have  no  work.  I  assure 
you,  gentlemen  (although  you  would  never  suspect  it), 
that  I  would  work  if  I  could  get  work  to  do.  I  have 
worked  in  all  sorts  of  places,  from  a  sawmill  to  a  watch- 
factory,  and  if  there  is  any  gentleman  here  who  dares 
offer  me  work  I'll  stay  with  him  till  court  sits  in  Oc- 
tober, be  this  same  person  a  parson,  or  a  bunco-steerer, 
or  a  representative  of  any  of  the  several  grades  between 
these  two  stations." 

Here,  again,  he  cast  wistful  glances  toward  the  bar, 
but,  no  one  offering  to  treat,  he  again  directed  his  re- 
marks to  his  benefactor,  and  asked  his  advice  as  to  what 
it  was  best  to  do. 

"  If  I  should  leave  town,"  he  argued,  "  I  might  never 
return  again,  and  in  that  case " 

"I  would  be  just  that  much  out,"  laughed  Walt. 

"  Exactly,  exactly.  Now,  sir,  I  am  accepting  my  lib- 
erty in  good  faith.  I  have  nothing  to  fear  from  a  trial, 
and  if  the  people  here  would  care  to  have  me  incarcer- 
ated till  this  court  sits,  why,  gentlemen,  I  will  return 
to  my  late  dungeon  and  there  remain  for  the  law  to  take 
its  course,"  and,  in  a  spirit  of  submission  to  the  powers 
that  be,  Long  held  his  hands  in  front  of  him  as  though 
expecting  to  have  the  manacles  replaced. 

"  Very  well,  then,  no  one  seems  to  wish  my  return ; 
so,  unless  labor  of  some  kind  is  offered  to  me,  I  must 
take  up  the  thread  of  my  interrupted  journey  and  pro- 
ceed to-night  via  some  hospitable  way-train,  securing 
a  reserved  seat  upon  the  trucks  of  a  freight-car.  To 
guard  against  thirst,  gentlemen,  I  always  carry  a 
convenient  flask  with  me.  It  is  now  empty  (and  so 
am  I),  and  who  speaks  first  for  the  privilege  of  fill- 
ing it?" 


346  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

Several  responded,  and  a  broad  smile  came  over  the 
face  of  the  man. 

"Thank  you.  I  don't  want  to  slight  any  one.  I 
keep  these  for  just  such  emergencies,"  and  a  laugh 
went  round  as  he  produced  three  other  flasks  of  similar 
shape  and  size,  and  those  who  were  a  short  time  before 
eager  to  lynch  the  fellow,  now  vied  with  each  other  in 
rewarding  him  for  his  ready  wit. 

When  the  bottles  were  all  filled  and  returned  to  his 
capacious  pockets,  he  cast  more  longing  looks  toward 
the  bar. 

"  What,  haven't  you  enough  yet  ?  We'll  get  the  hose 
and  attach  one  end  to  your  mouth  and  the  other  end  to 
a  barrel.  How  would  that  suit  you  ? " 

"Just  the  ticket,  boss;  just  the  ticket,"  and  the 
man's  eyes  bulged  with  delight. 

"  Well,  come  and  have  one  with  me,"  said  Billy. 

The  tramp  obeyed  with  alacrity,  and,  resuming  the 
place  he  had  first  occupied  near  an  open  window  at  the 
end  of  the  bar,  he  set  his  glass  in  front  of  him  and 
gazed  at  it  affectionately. 

"You  see,  sir,  I  have  an  awful — awful  thirst  on  me," 
he  said,  "  and  I  didn't  care  to  tap  those  bottles  while 
the  fountain  flowed  so  freely  near  by.  I'll  keep  them 
till  I  am  out  on  the  desert,  so  to  speak,  and  there  is  no 
other  reservoir  in  sight.  Again  I  thank  you  all,  gentle- 
men, for  your  most  magnanimous  consideration  of  my 
frailties.  And  to  this  especially  kind  friend,  to  whom 
I  owe  my  liberty,  I  am  more  than  grateful,"  and  he 
grasped  the  hand  of  Walt,  who  stood  near  him. 

"That's  all  right,"  responded  Walt;  "but  why  not 
give  us  your  pedigree,  and  tell  us  where  you  came  from 
and  where  you  are  going — that  is,  if  you  are  cruel 
enough  to  skip  your  bail  ? " 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  347 

"  Certainly,  with  pleasure ;  you  are  entitled  to  it,  my 
dear  sir;  but  first,  if  you  don't  mind — you  know  talking 
is  dry  work — and " 

"  What !  you  don't  mean  to  say  your  glass  is  empty 
again ! "  exclaimed  Walt,  regarding  the  tramp  in  sur- 
prise. "  You  have  a  thirst,  surely.  Well,  Pete,  fill  him 
up  again,  and  give  him  enough  to  last  this  time." 

Pete  laughed,  and  filled  the  tramp's  glass  to  the  top 
with  "  Mystic  Brand."  The  man  seized  it  with  an  un- 
steady hand. 

"  Thank  you,  my  good  and  generous  fellow ! "  he  ex- 
claimed, thickly ;  then  letting  his  gaze  wander  over  the 
crowded  barroom,  he  cried  out,  banteringly,  pointing 
toward  the  door : 

"  Oh,  I  say !  there's  the  honest,  but  unfortunate  man 
who  t-testified  against  me  in  the  court.  Now,  my 
frien',  I  don't  bear  any  ill-will.  Come  an'  join  me  in 
some  of  this  excellen'  beverage.  I  trus'  one  of  these 
very  gen'rous  gen'lemen  will  stan'  treat  on  my  'count." 

All  hands  turned  and  saw  Barney  sitting  at  a  table 
near  the  door.  He  made  no  move  or  reply  except  to 
shake  his  head  to  signify  his  refusal  of  the  invitation. 
The  tramp  pressed  his  invitation. 

"  Don't  hang  back  m'  man !  A  drink  of  this,"  and 
he  flourished  his  glass,  "  will  help  you  t'  forget  all  your 
sorrows.  They  say  I  am  de-de-tainin'  your  sweetheart. 
It's  a  lie — I  mean  a  sad  mistake.  Come  here  an' 
sh-shake  han's,  an'  les  be  frien's." 

Barney  rose  angrily  to  his  feet  as  though  to  leave  the 
saloon.  The  crowd  watching  him  thought  there  might 
be  a  quarrel,  and  one  or  two  stepped  toward  him  to  in- 
terfere. Suddenly,  however,  Barney  sat  down  again, 
looking  more  surprised  than  angry. 

"  Ah !  but  tha's  good  for  what  ails  me ! "  exclaimed 


348  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

the  tramp,  as,  attention  being  again  directed  to  him,  he 
set  down  his  empty  glass  and  smacked  his  lips  with 
great  gusto,  while  Walt  and  the  others  stared  at  him  in 
amazement. 

"You  wan'  know  m'  pedigree,  an'  where  I  came 
from,"  he  continued.  "  Well,  mos'  es'mable  frien'  an' 
ben'factor,  all  I  know  is  I  came  hither  from  thither,  an' 
thence  I  shall  go  forth  from  hence  by  the  firs'  frien'ly 
fras'  feight — I  mean  the  frirs'  fenly  fash  freight — or 
something  like  that.  M'  name,  you  have ;  m'  res'dence 
— wherever  th'  night  closes  'pon  me ;  my  oc'pation — 
had  so  many,  don'  know  which  the  lash  one  was ;  m' 
people — they  don'  know  me  'cause  m'  close  ain't  good 
'nough ;  but  le'  me  tell  you  m'  frien's — these  patched 
trousers  cover  an  hones'  (hie)  heart.  Wha'  you  laugh- 
in'  at,  mister?  It's  a  fac',  I  'sure  you.  I  don'  look 
han'some,  but  I'd  rather  (hie)  be  a  good  mushroom, 
growin'  on  a  dung-heap  than  a  bad  egg  in  a  good  shell. 
Some  day  I'll  compel  m'  fam'ly  to  reco'nize  my  rights 
an'  return  me  t'  the  rish  b'ronial  eshtates  in  m'  mdther 
coun'ry — merry  ol'  Englan'.  Then  m'  frien',"  growing 
confidential,  "  I  wan'  you  t'  come  over  there  an'  be  m' 
honor'  guesh.  It  will  (hie)  give  me  the  greatesh 
pleasure  to  welcome  you." 

"  But  what  about  your  other  friends  here  ?  Would 
not  all  the  Invincibles  be  welcome  ? "  asked  Walt. 

"  Mosh  assuredly,  m'  frien' — mosh  assur — (hie) — ly. 
Guesh  that  lash  imbiba— (hie) — tion  wash  too  much 
for  me,"  replied  the  fellow  thickly,  and  he  began  to 
reel  heavily. 

The  Invincibles  consulted  among  themselves  hastily 
and  decided  to  get  rid  of  the  fellow  as  quickly  as  pos- 
sible, so,  taking  him  by  both  arms,  they  escorted  him  out 
of  the  saloon.  Barney,  who  had  remained  at  the  table 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  349 

near  the  door  watching  the  proceedings  but  saying 
nothing,  started  up  as  though  to  speak  when  the  tramp 
and  his  escorts  passed,  but  quickly  changing  his  mind, 
he  sank  back  in  his  seat  and  waited  until  they  had  all 
gone  out.  Then  he  arose,  left  the  saloon,  and  strode 
rapidly  away,  his  face  flushed  with  suppressed  excite- 
ment. 

When  the  Invincibles  and  their  protege  reached  the 
road,  the  tramp  turned  to  Walt  and  insisted  upon  shak- 
ing hands  with  him  again. 

"  How  'm  I  to  repay  you,  mos'  noble  frien'  f '  thish — 
(hie) — kin'ness  ? "  he  sputtered. 

"  That's  easy  enough,"  replied  Walt.  "  We  will  see 
you  safely  to  the  railroad  station,  and  when  your  train 
of  palace  cars  comes  along  you  may  take  your  choice 
of  bumpers  or  trucks." 

By  the  time  the  station  was  reached,  however,  the 
tramp  was  in  such  a  helpless  condition  that  after  a  con- 
ference among  the  Invincibles,  it  was  decided  to  re- 
move him  to  their  private  room,  over  Pete's  place,  and 
back  they  dragged  him  to  this  hostelry. 

"  It  would  be  suicidal  for  him  to  attempt  to  board  a 
train  in  this  condition,"  said  Seward,  "and  murder  for 
us  to  allow  it.  We'll  take  him  upstairs,  where  he  can 
sleep  it  off  undisturbed.  At  the  same  time,"  he  whis- 
pered to  Walt,  "  we  have  a  little  business  to  transact 
while  we're  all  together." 

After  considerable  tugging  and  boosting  the  tramp 
was  smuggled  into  Pete's  place  by  a  back  entrance  to 
escape  the  eyes  of  the  remaining  loungers,  and  was 
stowed  away  on  the  cot  heretofore  used  more  than  once 
by  Sam  for  a  similar  purpose. 

"  He's  good  for  all  night,"  remarked  Walt,  as  ster- 
torous snores  came  from  the  couch.  "  Light  up,  Billy ; 


350  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

it's  getting  dark.  Don't  go,  Sam ;  we've  got  some  fig. 
uring  to  do,  and  need  your  help.  We'll  have  Pete  send 
up  some  grub." 

Bob  Simons  was  called  and  given  instructions.  Soon 
the  four  Invincibles  were  seated  at  their  light  repast, 
the  door  was  locked,  and  Sam  waited  for  the  storm 
which  he  knew  was  about  to  break  upon  his  head. 
Walt  was  the  first  to  speak. 

"  We've  got  to  look  things  squarely  in  the  face  and 
decide  on  some  way  to  get  out  of  the  snarl  we're  in," 
he  began.  "  The  sooner  we  do  it  the  better.  If  we 
could  have  stuck  to  our  profitable  business  without 
being  hampered  with  side  issues  and  private  affairs  we 
should  have  been  all  right.  Those  spies  of  Uncle  Sam 
gave  us  a  clean  bill  of  health.  It  isn't  likely  we  would 
have  been  bothered  on  that  line  again  in  a  hurry.  But 
the  president  of  our  company  allows  himself  to  get  off 
the  track  on  other  business.  I  call  this  plagued  love 
affair  business  because  I  don't  think  he's  the  man  to  go 
to  such  extremes  for  a  simple  sentiment.  There  must 
be  something  more  in  it.  I  wouldn't  care  for  that,  if  he 
had  been  content  to  work  his  scheme,  whatever  it  was, 
on  the  outside ;  but  in  spite  of  our  refusal  to  have  any- 
thing to  do  with  it,  he  goes  ahead  and  springs  it  on  us 
behind  our  backs.  Before  we  know  it,  we  are  mixed 
up  in  the  matter,  and  have  to  stand  for  it  or  throw  up 
the  whole  concern  at  the  risk  of  making  him  blab. 
Now  there's  the  devil  to  pay  with  all  this  excitement 
over  Norine.  If  we  don't  look  out,  the  chickens  will 
begin  coming  home  to  roost.  I  don't  call  it  a  square 
deal.  Our  business  is  at  a  standstill.  We  don't  dare 
to  go  out  to  the  island  for  more  stuff  while  the  woods 
are  full  of  searchers.  Yet  the  only  thing  to  do,  so  far 
as  I  can  see,  is  to  return  the  girl  at  once,  provided  it 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  351 

can  be  done  safely,  and  she  will  promise  not  to  blab. 
What  do  you  say  ? " 

Sam  had  been  drumming  on  the  table  in  an  effort  to 
appear  unconcerned  while  Walt  was  speaking.  He 
now  surprised  the  others  by  sitting  erect  in  his  chair 
and  looking  around  defiantly  at  his  companions  as  he 
replied : 

"  This  practically  places  me  on  trial,  I  suppose.  AH 
right,  go  ahead,  fret,  accuse,  curse ;  but  remember,  we 
are  all  in  the  same  boat,  and  if  you  think  it's  going  to 
sink,  and  have  any  plans  for  getting  out,  present  them. 
If  not,  better  hold  your  tongues.  There's  nothing  to 
be  gained  by  pot  calling  kettle  black,  don't  you  know. 
Funny  what  a  spasm  of  virtue  has  taken  hold  of  you 
because  you  think  /  have  made  a  mistake.  Maybe  I 
have;  anyhow  I'm  sorry  it  had  to  turn  out  this  way. 
I  don't  like  the  excitement  any  more  than  you  do;  but 
we're  in  for  it,  and  may  as  well  make  the  best  of  a  bad 
job." 

"  Talking  of  excitement,"  said  Seward,  slowly,  "  that 
damnable  attack  on  my  cousin  Lettie  was  about  as 
bad  as  anything  could  be,  and  doesn't  make  it  any 
easier  for  us  to  get  out  of  our  fix,  even  though  I  did 
manage  to  get  myself  put  on  the  vigilance  commit- 
tee. If  they  can  find  the  wretch  who  did  the  thing, 
he  will  probably  swing  from  a  good  stout  limb  in  short 
order." 

"  The  poor  girl  had  a  narrow  escape.  Have  you  any 
idea  who  were  the  perpetrators  ? "  asked  Walt. 

"I  know — the  perpetrator,"  said  Seward,  looking 
Sam  full  in  the  face.  "  Is  it  necessary  to  mention  any 
name  ?  We  ought  to  have  no  secrets  from  each  other, 
but  so  far  as  the  public  is  concerned,  I  left  the  matter 
with  Lettie.  It  was  through  her  love,  poor  girl,  that 


352  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

you  were  spared,  Sam.    Now  I  warn  you  to  get  out  of 
this  Norine  affair  as  quickly  as  you  can." 

The  discussion  continued  hour  after  hour,  mingled 
with  bitter  accusations  and  recriminations.  Billy  at 
first  took  up  Sam's  defense,  but  after  a  while  he  found 
it  more  to  his  interests  to  keep  silent. 

Sam  fought  his  battle  alone  with  less  and  less  assur- 
ance until  he  was  driven  to  yield  every  point. 

"  I  am  for  giving  Sam  just  one  chance  to  redeem 
himself,"  said  Seward.  "  If  he  will  set  his  wits  to  work 
to  restore  the  girl,  without  exposing  the  rendezvous, 
or  revealing  our  connection  with  the  matter,  I,  for  one, 
will  vote  to  overlook  the  past.  Then  we  can  decide 
whether  he  shall  resume  his  position  as  leader,  from 
which  I  now  consider  him  as  deposed." 

"Well  put,"  agreed  Walt.  "What  do  you  say  to 
that  proposition,  Billy  ? " 

"Agreed,"  he  answered. 

"Very  well,  then,  Sam.  Can  you  return  the  girl 
safely — safely,  mind  you — to  her  parents,  and  have  no 
one  the  wiser  as  to  where  she  has  been?"  asked 
Seward. 

"  That's  a  hard  nut  to  crack,  don't  you  know,"  replied 
Sam  meekly,  "but  I'll  try.  After  all,  I  suppose  she 
will  be  glad  enough  to  get  away  without  peaching  on 
us." 

"  Don't  wager  too  much  on  that,  Sam.  If  she  can 
be  induced  to  keep  still,  it  certainly  will  not  be  out  of 
regard  for  you.  It  will  be  to  save  your  poor  old  fa- 
ther," answered  Walt. 

"  One  thing  is  certain,"  said  Seward,  "  you  must  re- 
turn Norine,  and  that  at  once,  or  within  a  reasonable 
length  of  time.  By  another  week,  say  a  week  from  to- 
night, we  must  make  the  attempt.  We  will  all  go  out 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  353 

to  the  south  shore — "  He  suddenly  hesitated,  looked 
hard  at  the  sleeper  on  the  couch,  who  was  snoring  like 
a  porker,  and  then,  satisfied  that  the  tramp  was  oblivi- 
ous of  all  the  world,  proceeded:  "Sam,  you  stay 
around  the  Keg — I  am  managing  this  campaign  now — 
Billy  and  Walt  shall  go  up  to  the  hunting-lodge,  and 
I'll  stay  around  home.  By  the  time  the  week  is  up  all 
will  have  quieted  down  and  we  can  safely  make  the  trip. 
Be  there  at  daylight,  and  at  sunrise  we  can  fire  the  sa- 
lute. Pomp  will  hear  it,  and  will  soon  be  with  us.  We 
can  then  complete  details  as  the  emergencies  require. 
What  do  you  think  of  the  plan  ? " 

There  was  nothing  better  to  offer,  so  Seward's  plan 
was  adopted,  subject  to  change  if  circumstances  should 
require. 

They  had  remained  talking  all  night,  and  it  was  not 
until  near  morning  that  their  prote"g6  showed  signs  of 
returning  consciousness.  With  the  first  symptom  of 
this  return  they  directed  their  attention  to  him  and 
ceased  their  palaver. 

"  Had  a  good  sleep,  have  you,  pard  ? "  said  Walt,  who 
first  observed  his  awakening. 

"  Yesh,  but  aivfttl—  awful  thirsty.  Where's  Pete  ? " 
and  with  groggy  eyes  he  looked  around  the  apartment. 

"  Pete's  to  bed,  but  if  you  want  an  eye-opener,  there 
are  your  bottles  yet.  Better  take  a  little  bracer,  and 
get  on  the  train  due  here  at  four  o'clock.  Pretty  early, 
but  we'll  go  with  you,"  said  Walt. 

Without  further  ado,  the  program  was  carried  out. 

Ere  long  the  tramp  was  bundled  onto  the  train,  and 
the  Invincibles  breathed  more  freely. 
23 


CHAPTER   XXVI 

THE  people  of  Red-Keg  and  all  the  surrounding 
region  were  thrown  into  a  state  of  renewed  excitement 
by  the  arrival,  on  the  morning  following  the  tramp's 
hearing,  of  another  stranger,  and  the  posting,  a  few 
hours  later,  of  a  notice  on  Vogel's  store  and  other 
places  offering  five  thousand  dollars  reward,  and  no 
questions  asked,  for  the  safe  return  of  Norine  Maloney. 
The  news  flew  in  all  directions  that  Orrin  Maloney, 
brother  of  John  Maloney,  and  son  of  a  wealthy  manu- 
facturer who  had  just  died  in  Belfast,  Ireland,  leaving 
the  bulk  of  his  vast  property  to  his  two  sons,  had  come 
in  search  of  his  brother,  arriving  just  in  time  to  help 
in  a  still  more  thorough  and  aggressive  hunt  for  the 
lost  girl.  The  offer  of  a  reward  and  a  description  of 
Norine  were  sent  far  and  wide.  New  parties  were  or- 
ganized. The  woods  were  beaten  for  miles  around,  un- 
til it  seemed  as  though  even  a  rabbit  could  not  escape. 
Sturgeon  Slough  was  dragged,  and  out-of-the-way 
places  were  searched.  The  activity  and  hopefulness  of 
the  big-hearted  Irishman — Sir  Orrin,  as  the  Red-Keg- 
gers  dubbed  him  —  seemed  boundless.  Every  one 
caught  the  contagion,  and  worked  with  a  fresh  determi- 
nation, which  lasted  for  fully  three  days.  Orrin  was  in- 
dignant that  the  tramp  had  not  been  held.  He  offered 
another  reward  for  his  apprehension  and  return  to  the 
custody  of  the  court. 

The  Invincibles  were  in  a  constant  state  of  alarm 

354 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  355 

lest  some  of  the  searchers  should  stumble  upon  their 
secret  rendezvous,  or  lest  the  tramp  should  turn  up  and 
clear  himself,  or  lest  suspicion  should  again  fall  upon 
them.  The  day  was  approaching  which  they  had  agreed 
upon  for  making  the  attempt  to  get  Norine  off  their 
hands.  They  did  their  best  to  foster  the  spirit  of  dis- 
couragement with  further  searching  in  the  woods,  hop- 
ing to  clear  their  own  way.  Indeed,  the  searching  par- 
ties soon  came  to  the  conviction  that  they  had  done  all 
that  was  possible  in  this  direction,  and  before  the  week 
was  up,  nearly  all  had  abandoned  that  line  of  search. 
Walt  and  Seward  insisted  that  Sam  stick  to  his  agree- 
ment. 

"  If  we  could  only  manage  it  some  way  by  which  we 
could  get  hold  of  that  reward  at  the  same  time,  it 
would  compensate  in  part  for  the  loss  of  the  girl," 
urged  Sam,  thinking  regretfully  of  the  stake  for  which 
he  had  risked  so  much,  and  which  was  about  to  slip 
from  his  grasp. 

"  I  have  no  taste  for  any  further  complications,"  de- 
murred Seward.  "  The  one  thing  I  am  anxious  for  is 
to  get  Norine  safely  off  our  hands,  and  we  do  not  know 
yet  whether  we  can  even  do  that.  If  we  get  out  of 
this  scrape  with  a  whole  skin,  that  will  be  reward 
enough.  You  can't  expect  anything  more." 

"  I  have  been  thinking  we  might  tell  Norine  that  we 
would  return  her  to  her  parents  on  condition  that  she 
would  pledge  herself  on  her  honor  to  tell  nothing,  and 
then  we  might  arrange  with  one  or  two  of  our  middle- 
men up  in  the  Big  Salt — for  instance,  Pierre  Badeau,  to 
meet  us  at  the  usual  place  and  take  this  new  product 
of  our  island  to  the  market,  get  the  reward,  retain  a 
share  for  his  trouble,  and  turn  the  remainder  over  to 
us  for  our  trouble.  He  could  spin  a  yarn  about  being 


356  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

the  go-betweens  for  two  professional  kidnappers  up  in 
the  next  township,  and  the  chances  are  the  story  would 
go  down.  You  know  the  notice  says  no  questions 
asked." 

"  I  don't  know  but  that  might  be  feasible,"  said  Walt, 
doubtfully.  "  I  don't  hanker  for  any  more  complica- 
tions, either,  but  the  money  would  come  in  very  handy 
just  now,  after  paying  out  that  five  hundred  dollars  to 
let  Mr.  Tramp  escape,  and  they  say  Orrin  Maloney  has 
barrels  of  it.  I'll  agree  to  it  if  Seward  will.'' 

But  Seward  refused,  positively. 

While  the  Invincibles  were  worrying  and  planning, 
and  the  friends  of  Norine  were  making  conspicuous 
efforts  to  discover  some  clew  to  her,  and  the  vigilance 
committee  was  exerting  itself  to  catch  the  miscreants 
and  protect  the  neighborhood  from  further  acts  of  vio- 
lence, Barney  O'Boyle  held  himself  aloof  as  much  as 
he  could  from  his  neighbors,  and  avoided  the  questions 
and  commiserations  that  came  from  all  sides  whenever 
he  went  abroad.  Usually  cool,  collected,  and  undis- 
turbed, he  was  now  completely  overcome  with  grief. 
The  illness  and  then  the  death  of  Mother  Hawkins,  to- 
gether  with  the  uncomplaining  sorrow  of  Uncle  Si,  cut 
him  to  the  heart ;  the  hopeless  grief  of  Norine's  parents 
smote  him  like  a  barbed  arrow.  Yet,  neither  they  nor 
Orrin  Maloney  had  a  word  of  blame  for  the  manly  fel- 
low. They  knew  that  all  this  sorrow  and  trouble  had 
been  brought  about  through  no  fault  of  his.  He  had 
expected  nothing  less  than  a  mild  censure,  to  say  the 
least,  but  when  all  concerned  had  shown  such  magna- 
nimity toward  him,  and  confidence  in  his  honor,  his  grief 
was  all  the  more  poignant,  and  he  recorded  a  vow  with 
himself  that  come  what  would  he  would  never  rest  till 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  357 

the  lost  girl  was  restored  to  her  family,  or  the  mystery 
of  her  taking  off  unravelled 

It  was  a  busy  time  on  the  farm,  and  the  spring  work 
must  be  done.  Without  consulting  Farmer  Hawkins, 
he  purchased  from  his  own  savings  a  new  yoke  of  oxen, 
and  worked  incessantly  during  the  hours  of  daylight. 
He  scarcely  touched  his  food,  and  when  evening  came 
he  attended  to  his  usual  chores ;  then  taking  a  lantern, 
he  went  out  alone  to  search  the  woods  for  a  trace  of 
his  lost  sweetheart.  The  failure  of  searching  parties 
did  not  convince  nor  deter  him.  All  night  long  he 
tramped  up  and  down  through  forest  and  swamp ;  fol- 
lowing the  original  trail  back  and  forth,  and  then 
branching  out  in  every  direction ;  peering  under  bushes 
and  brambles  and  dragging  ponds  and  lagoons,  sick  at 
heart,  but  determined  to  keep  on.  For  more  than  a 
week  he  had  been  out  every  night,  sometimes  with 
others,  more  often  alone,  going  each  time  in  a  different 
direction,  farther  and  farther,  and  with  less  and  less 
hope  of  success,  yet  without  a  thought  of  abandoning 
his  search.  He  had  not  said  a  word  to  any  one,  until 
Uncle  Si,  noting  with  alarm  his  haggard  looks  each 
morning,  insisted  on  his  taking  more  rest.  Then  Bar- 
ney poured  out  his  pent-up  feelings  and  told  of  his  night 
searches.  Uncle  Si  expostulated  with  him. 

"You  ought  not  to  do  that,  Barney.  You  can't 
stand  it.  Suppose  you  should  get  off  in  the  wilderness 
alone  somewhere  and  give  out.  It  is  unlikely  Norine 
is  in  the  woods  now.  Whoever  took  her  away  has  got 
her  in  safe-keeping — that  is — if  she  is  still  alive. 
Orrin's  reward  will  bring  her  to  us  if  anything  will. 
You  must  take  care  of  yourself,  or  you  won't  be  fit  to 
meet  her  when  she  does  come." 

Barney  thanked  his  kind  employer  and  friend,  but 


358  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

he  would  not  be  dissuaded  from  continuing  his  search. 
He  could  not  bear  to  think  that  perhaps  his  darling  was 
lying  out  there,  cold  and  wet  and  dead,  and  no  loving 
hands  to  place  her  in  her  last  resting-place.  So  again 
he  started  out  on  his  weary  tramp.  He  always  carried 
his  revolver  with  him,  for  he  knew  the  woods  were  full 
of  prowling  animals.  He  also  had  his  hunting-knife, 
and  he  knew  no  fear  as  he  hastened  along  to  the  point 
whence  he  was  to  begin  the  night  search. 

"Oh,  Norine,  darlint,"  he  cried  aloud,  "will  these 
eyes  iver  see  ye  agin?  Shall  I  iver  spake  into  yer 
livin'  ears  the  sorrow  an'  love  of  me  heart  ?  Sure,  it's 
no  fault  of  yours  that  ye're  not  this  minute  safe  under 
yer  mother's  roof.  There's  some  dark  diviltry  here, 
an'  begorra,  if  I  could  lay  these  two  hands  on  the  cow- 
ardly varmint  as  sperited  ye  away — "  his  eyes  gleamed 
fiercely,  his  breath  came  in  short  gasps,  his  hands 
clinched  till  the  nails  nearly  cut  through  the  flesh 
of  his  horny  hand — "  I'd  niver  rest  till  he  was  strung 
up  by  the  neck  an'  left  fer  the  crows  to  pick  his  worth- 
less bones."  The  words  came  from  between  his 
clenched  teeth,  and  the  utterance  of  his  rage  in  the 
darkness  and  the  wilderness,  like  the  safety-valve  of  an 
engine,  relieved  the  pressure  within. 

For  some  time  he  strode  on  in  silence,  and  then 
burst  out  again : 

"  Sam  Hawkins,  I  hate  yer  infernal  looks  I — I — . 
They  all  say  ye  didn't  do  it,  an'  ye  pretind  to  be  turnin' 
over  a  new  leaf,  but  I  feel  in  me  heart  that  ye  did  do 
it,  an'  that  ye  know  where  the  darlint  is  now.  Ye 
must  be  a  sneakin'  hypercrit,  an'  the  divil's  own, 
besides.  Why  was  ye  so  anxious  to  git  rid  o'  thet 
tramp  ?  Ye  knew  he  was  innercent,  an'  if  he  stayed 
here,  they'd  be  after  provin'  it.  Ye  wanted  them  ter 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  359 

kape  on  thinkin'  he  done  it,  an'  so  ye  helped  him  to 
skip,  you  an'  yer  friends." 

He  had  reached  the  spot  where  he  was  to  take  up 
the  search  for  the  night,  and  was  just  stepping  from 
the  road,  when  there  came  wafted  to  his  ear  the  maud- 
lin tones  of  a  drunken  man  singing  "The  Falling  of 
the  Pine,"  one  of  the  popular  lumber-camp  airs.  He 
had  no  desire  for  such  a  companion  at  this  time,  so  he 
made  haste  to  get  out  of  the  way  before  he  should  be 
seen,  and  into  the  woods  he  went  on  his  melancholy 
quest.  Not  a  spot  within  reach  of  the  rays  of  his  lan- 
tern, or  lighted  by  the  moon,  which  had  helped  so 
greatly  during  the  past  few  nights,  now  escaped  his 
attention. 

As  he  hunted,  his  thoughts  ever  returned  to  Norine, 
and  the  last  moments  he  had  spent  with  her  on  that 
memorable  night.  She  had  fallen  into  the  water,  and 
was  cold  and  wet.  How  long  could  she  survive  the 
cruel  exposure,  even  if  nothing  worse  had  happened  to 
her  ?  But  perhaps  Uncle  Si  was  right,  and  she  was 
being  taken  care  of,  and  would  be  returned  in  order 
that  her  abductors  might  secure  the  reward.  Then  his 
thoughts  flew  to  the  scene  in  the  saloon  after  the  hear- 
ing of  the  tramp  in  court. 

"  Begorra,  there  was  somethin*  strange  about  thet 
tramp.  The  crowd  thought  he  was  drunker'n  a  owl, 
but  I'm  thinkin'  he  didn't  drink  a  blessed  drop.  What 
did  he  dump  the  stuff  outer  the  winder  fer,  when  he 
thought  nobody  was  lookin*  ?  Maybe  the  boys  thought 
he  was  drunk,  maybe  not.  He's  sure  enough  up  to 
some  game,  good  or  bad." 

An  hour  passed,  and  Barney  was  still  hunting. 
Another  hour  found  him  thrusting,  poking,  tramping 
His  long  partial  fasting,  and  the  ceaseless  toil  and 


360  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

worry  were  beginning  to  tell  upon  his  strength.  He 
felt  a  weakness  unknown  to  him,  the  strong,  robust 
young  Hercules,  the  envy  of  every  youth  in  the  town- 
ship. 

"  H — o — o,  h — o — o,  hoo — hoo ! "  came  to  his  listen- 
ing ears  as  he  was  retracing  his  steps  toward  an  over- 
hanging rock  which  he  had  passed  some  time  before. 
He  was  now  intent  on  looking  around  that  place  again 
and  still  more  thoroughly.  He  reached  it  and  made  a 
detour  to  the  south  among  the  tangle  wood.  He  had 
not  proceeded  far  when  the  doleful  and  ominous  hoot 
of  the  same  owl  again  arrested  his  attention. 

"  H — o — o,  h — o — o,  hoo — hoo ! "  came  the  mournful 
dirge,  and  for  the  first  time  in  his  life  the  notes  struck 
a  chord  in  Barney's  breast  which  caused  him  to  shake 
with  apprehension.  He  was  not  frightened,  but  under 
the  tense  condition  of  nervous  strain  under  which  he 
was  bearing  up,  the  sound  thrilled  him  through  and 
through,  and  he  took  the  hooting  as  a  portent  of  com- 
ing disaster. 

As  the  notes  died  away  he  thought  he  heard  a  crack- 
ling in  the  underbrush  just  a  little  way  ahead  of  him, 
and  stopped  to  listen.  With  unreasoning  hope  spring- 
ing in  his  breast  he  rushed  forward  toward  the  spot 
whence  came  the  sound,  calling  the  name  of  Norine 
at  every  bound.  A  moment's  thought  would  have  told 
him  that  Norine  could  not  possibly  be  wandering  at 
night  in  the  forest  alive  after  more  than  a  week  had 
passed. 

As  he  neared  the  spot  he  again  stopped  to  listen, 
and  this  time  he  distinctly  heard  the  "  ughf,  ughf  "  of 
a  bear,  which  came  from  the  clump  of  bushes  not  fifty 
feet  ahead  of  him. 

What  if  this  beast  had  overtaken  Norine  and  torn 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  361 

her  in  pieces,  was  the  first  thought  that  entered  his 
mind,  and,  with  a  cry  of  desperation,  thinking  nothing 
of  the  possible  outcome,  he  rushed  with  maddened  fury 
in  the  direction  of  the  beast.  It  was  a  large  fellow  of 
the  black  variety,  and  ordinarily  would  have  run  away, 
but  Barney's  onslaught  was  so  fierce  and  determined 
that  the  animal  had  no  alternative  but  to  turn  and  de- 
fend himself  against  the  charge  of  his  mad  antagonist. 
Rising  to  his  haunches  he  met  the  onslaught  with  a 
swingle-like  motion  of  his  ponderous  paw.  Barney,  his 
blood  up,  had  not  moved  with  his  usual  caution.  He 
had  unsheathed  his  knife  and  made  his  rush,  hoping  to 
catch  bruin  at  a  disadvantage.  But  the  bear  was  too 
quick.  His  paw  struck  Barney's  knife-hand  a  terrible 
blow,  knocking  the  knife  away  and  rendering  that  hand 
practically  useless.  Too  late  our  hero  had  measured 
the  strength  of  his  foe,  and  the  bear,  now  himself  en- 
raged to  the  fighting-point,  made  another  pass  at  Bar- 
ney, who  fortunately  dodged  just  in  time  to  escape  its 
full  force  upon  his  head,  which  no  doubt  would  have 
concluded  the  conflict  then  and  there  in  favor  of  bruin. 

Barney  had  dropped  his  lantern  some  distance  back, 
and  the  oil,  running  out  and  igniting,  presented  a  weird 
spectacle  of  the  surrounding  wood,  but  at  the  same 
time  distracted  for  an  instant  the  attention  of  the  bear 
and  gave  Barney  a  chance  to  draw  his  revolver  and 
again  force  the  fight  with  his  huge  antagonist.  The 
bear's  last  blow  had  deprived  Barney  of  his  hat,  but 
had  not  hurt  him,  and  while  the  bear  had  his  attention 
drawn  to  the  blazing  oil,  the  desperate  man  took  aim 
at  the  heart  of  the  beast  and  pulled  the  trigger. 

With  a  yell  of  rage  the  monster  was  again  upright, 
with  froth-flecked  mouth  and  gleaming  eyes.  He 
aimed  another  blow,  which  failed,  and  then  the  two 


362  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

met  in  a  hand-to-hand  and  desperate  struggle  for  the 
mastery — a  powerful  brute  pitted  against  a  human 
antagonist,  both  goaded  to  desperation. 

Barney  grappled  with  the  fellow,  and  the  two  rolled 
to  the  ground,  the  former  on  top.  His  pistol  had 
dropped  from  his  hand,  and  there  in  the  dead  of  night, 
the  light  having  burned  out  by  this  time,  leaving  the 
combatants  to  trust  to  the  moon,  the  two  fought  and 
struggled  for  supremacy.  With  a  power  born  of  love 
and  a  determination  to  live  to  avenge  the  wrongs  of  his 
love<J  one,  the  brave  man  knew  no  fear,  and  with  a 
mighty  power  for  an  instant  beyond  even  his  ordinary 
strength,  he  grasped  the  throat  of  the  beast  with  his 
uninjured  hand  and  the  other  he  wound  around  a  sap- 
ling near  by. 

His  grip  upon  the  throat  tightened.  The  animal 
writhed  and  twisted  in  his  agony.  But  just  as  Barney 
felt  that  the  victory  was  his,  he  relaxed  his  hold,  as  the 
terrible  strain  was  more  than  he  could  stand.  The 
bear,  who  had  almost  ceased  to  struggle,  now  made  a 
last  ferocious  effort,  in  a  twinkling  breaking  the  hold 
upon  his  throat,  and  with  a  terrible  growl  fastened  his 
jaws  upon  Barney's  arm.  Fortunately  for  Barney  he 
had  on  his  leather  hunting-coat,  or  the  arm  would  have 
been  torn  in  pieces.  Bruin,  now  evidently  aware  of  his 
ascendency,  paused  a  moment  to  contemplate  his  pros- 
trate foe,  or  to  get  breath,  the  while  holding  the  arm 
like  a  vise,  and  growling  ominously. 

Barney,  weak  and  trembling  from  lack  of  food  and 
rest,  was  for  the  first  time  unnerved.  He  felt  that 
having  no  weapon  within  reach,  the  fight  was  greatly 
in  favor  of  the  bear.  The  pain  caused  by  the  sharp 
teeth  on  his  arm  and  the  almost  paralyzed  condition  of 
his  other  hand  from  the  first  blow  of  the  bear  was  ex- 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  363 

cruciating,  and  a  groan  of  agony  escaped  his  lips. 
Further  than  that  he  remained  silent,  while  the  big 
beast,  seemingly  satisfied  with  the  advantage  he  had 
gained,  did  not  crowd  the  fight.  Barney  realized  this, 
and  with  pain  shooting  through  every  nerve  he  heroic- 
ally held  his  peace  and  did  not  move  a  muscle.  How 
long  he  remained  in  that  position  he  did  not  know,  but 
soon  he  realized  that  a  lethargy  was  creeping  over  his 
already  benumbed  senses,  and  he  was  yielding  to  over- 
wrought nature. 

Suddenly,  without  warning,  he  felt  the  bear  release 
his  hold,  and  at  the  same  instant  a  stream  of  something 
hot  and  foaming  struck  him  full  in  the  face.  He  was 
aroused  at  once  from  his  lethargy,  and  sat  upright. 
The  bear  had  rolled  over  on  his  side,  while  the  hot 
blood  still  flowed  from  a  knife  wound  in  his  throat. 
Standing  over  them  Barney  observed  the  dim  outlines 
of  a  man,  holding  a  murderous-looking  knife  which  was 
dripping  with  the  life-blood  of  the  quivering  beast  at 
his  feet. 

"  Seems  to  me  you  have  had  a  pretty  narrow  escape, 
eh  ?  Let  me  help  you  to  your  feet  now  you  are  free 
from  the  embraces  of  that  fellow,"  and  Jim  Lane,  the 
man  whom  Barney  and  Jim  Gyde  had  saved  from  death 
in  the  rollway  two  weeks  previous,  rolled  the  carcass 
away  from  Barney  and  reached  out  to  help  him  up. 

For  a  moment  Barney  was  too  much  dazed  to  speak. 
But  as  he  gazed  at  the  dead  bear,  and  then  at  his  res- 
cuer, his  thoughts  returned.  Peering  into  the  face  be- 
fore him,  he  recognized  Mr.  Lane,  and  reaching  for  his 
hand  he  squeezed  it  as  heartily  as  his  remaining  strength 
would  permit. 

"  Misther  Lane,  ye're  an  angel  o'  mercy.  Ye  dropped 
down  from  hivin  just  in  time  to  save  my  life.  Do  ye 


364  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

remember  the  young  lady  ye  saw  with  me  down  at  the 
rollway  ?  Well,  that  same  girl  is  lost  in  these  woods 
an'  I'm  looking  for  her,  in  the  course  of  which  I  came 
across  this  varmint,  an'  but  for  your  help,  I'd  been  a 
goner,  sure." 

"  That's  all  right,  Mr.  O'Boyle.  I  have  only,  in  a 
small  way,  been  repaying  a  debt  of  gratitude  which  I 
have  owed  you  ever  since  the  day  of  the  rollway,  so 
please  only  consider  this  a  partial  payment  on  account 
— nothing  more.  I  happened  to  be  out  in  these  woods 
on  private  business,  and  getting  lost,  I  thought  it  wisest 
to  just  stop  where  night  overtook  me  and  trust  to  day- 
light to  get  out  of  the  tangle.  I  had  climbed  up  among 
the  branches  of  a  big  hemlock,  cut  a  few  boughs,  made 
a  bed,  and  was  about  dropping  off  in  slumber  when  the 
report  of  a  pistol  aroused  me.  I  jumped  up,  saw  a  large 
blaze  over  in  this  direction,  and  heard  you  and  the  bear 
struggling,  but  before  I  could  reach  you  the  blaze  went 
out,  and  but  for  the  labored  breathing  and  growling  of 
the  bear  I  would  never  have  found  you.  The  fellow 
was  too  intent  on  finishing  you  at  his  leisure  to  notice 
me,  so  when  I  was  near  enough  to  see  just  the  situa- 
tion of  affairs,  I  made  a  lunge  forward  with  my  knife 
and  luckily  reached  a  vital  spot  without  touching  you." 

"Mr.  Lane,  I — why,  I  believe  I  am  going  to  — 
to " 

In  a  moment  the  strong  man  dropped  in  a  heap  at 
the  feet  of  his  rescuer. 

From  a  pool  of  water  near  by  Lane  fetched  his  hat 
full  and  bathed  Barney's  face.  Then  from  his  pocket 
he  took  a  flask  and  was  about  to  place  it  to  the  lips  of 
the  prostrate  man  when  he  opened  his  eyes  and  sat  up. 

"  Faith,  it's  nothin'  at  all,  only  a  little  dizzy.  The 
beast  did  give  me  quite  a  squeeze,  an'  I've  been  on  the 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  365 

go  the  last  few  nights,  an'  not  much  appetite  to  eat. 
Guess  I  ain't  meself." 

A  few  moments'  rest  and  a  draught  of  cold  water  re- 
stored the  young  man  somewhat.  He  looked  closely 
at  his  companion,  whose  face  was  now  clearly  revealed 
in  the  moonlight. 

"  Why  did  ye  quit  the  Keg  the  day  of  the  rollway 
without  kapin'  yer  appointment  with  me  ? "  he  asked 
abruptly. 

"  Well,  I  did  leave  without  much  notice,  I  confess, 
but  you  know  men  in  my  particular  line  of  business," 
and  he  tapped  the  left  side  of  his  coat  significantly,  "are 
liable  to  receive  sudden  calls.  I  found  it  necessary 
to  catch  a  train  before  the  time  of  our  appointment." 

"  Ye  said  ye  had  news  fer  me  from  Belfast,  ef  ye'll 
remember.  Would  ye  mind  tellin'  it  now  ?  A  friend 
o'  mine  hes  come  from  there  since  I  saw  ye,  but  I  hain't 
heard  him  mention  yer  name." 

Lane  sat  silent  for  several  minutes  as  though  debat 
ing  with  himself,  then  he  said  impressively : 

"  Barney  O'Boyle,  I  have  learned  many  things  the 
past  few  weeks,  and  some  of  them  concern  you  very 
closely.  It  is  a  little  premature  to  disclose  them  just 
now,  but  very  soon  you  shall  know  all.  In  the  mean 
time  I  wish  you 'to  discontinue  this  search  for  Miss 
Norine,  and  leave  the  matter  in  my  hands.  If  I  had 
known  you  were  coming  out  here  at  night  I  should 
have  told  you  to  give  it  up  before  now.  You  can  ac- 
complish nothing." 

"  Fer  the  love  of  hivin,  man !  What  do  ye  mane  ? 
Is  she  dead  ? "  Barney  sprang  to  his  feet,  and  grasping 
Lane  by  both  shoulders,  gazed  into  his  face  with  terror- 
stricken  eyes. 

"  Your  sweetheart  is  alive  and  safe,"  replied  Lane. 


366  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

"  Alive !  Safe !  Say  that  again !  Oh,  blissed  Saints ! 
Say  it  again ! "  and  then  he  proceeded  to  make  any 
repetition  impossible  by  clasping  his  long  arms  around 
Lane,  and,  with  a  new-born  strength,  nearly  crushing 
the  breath  out  of  his  body. 

"  Let  me  go !  Great  Caesar !  Let  me  go ! "  gasped 
Lane,  struggling  out  of  Barney's  frantic  embrace.  "  It 
is  true ;  Norine  is  alive  and " 

"  Take  me  to  her  this  blissed  minute,  man !  What 
are  we  loafin'  here  for  ?  Alive !  Safe !  Come,  we'll 
have  her  home  before  mornin'.  Which  way " 

"  Not  so  fast,  my  friend.  I  only  know  that  she  is 
safe.  I  do  not  know  yet  exactly  where  she  is.  I  am 
close  on  the  track,  however,  and  shall  find  her  before 
the  week  is  out.  Meanwhile  you  must  get  some  rest 
and  be  ready  to  help  me  when  the  time  comes.  Be 
assured  I  shall  call  on  you  to  be  present  at  the  finish. 
Until  then  you  must  appear  to  know  nothing  at  all. 
Even  the  joy  you  can  not  help  feeling  at  the  knowl- 
edge of  the  dear  girl's  safety  must  not  show  itself  at 
home  nor  in  the  village.  It  might  arouse  suspicion 
that  would  spoil  our  plans." 

"Ye  mane " 

"  Never  mind  what  I  mean.  It  is  most  important 
that  you  do  as  I  tell  you.  The  suspense  will  be  over 
soon  and  the  guilty  ones  brought  to  justice." 

"  The  guilty  ones  ?    Then  the  tramp " 

For  answer,  Lane  put  his  hand  to  his  face,  and  turned 
his  back  to  Barney.  In  a  moment  he  confronted  him 
again. 

"  You ! "  cried  Barney,  astonished. 

"  Yes,  your  honor,"  laughed  the  newly  made  tramp. 
"  I  skipped  my  bail,  but  I  shall  be  on  hand  before  the 
October  term." 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  367 

"  Faith,  I  spotted  ye  in  Pete's  gin-mill  the  other  day, 
when  ye  were  fakin'  the  boys,  but  I  couldn't  make  out 
yer  game,  an'  I  hed  no  idea  'twas  Jim  Lane.  Ah,  but 
ye're  a  cute  one.  What  brought  ye  out  here  ? " 

"You  shall  have  the  whole  story  in  a  few  days. 
Now  I  want  you  to  share  the  comfortable  bed  I  have 
made  in  the  hemlock  branches  yonder.  There  is  room 
for  two,  and  you  are  too  much  used  up  to  walk  back 
home  to-night. 

In  a  few  moments  the  two  men  were  comfortably 
ensconced  in  their  rustic  retreat,  and  Barney  was  soon 
dreaming  the  sweetest  dreams  for  many  a  night. 


CHAPTER   XXVII 

NORINE  woke  from  a  heavy  sleep  of  utter  exhaustion 
and  rose  with  a  start  to  a  sitting  posture.  What  had 
happened  ?  or  had  she  been  dreaming  ?  A  vague  sense 
of  trouble  or  sudden  accident  oppressed  her.  She 
would  go  to  her  mother  at  once  and  let  her  laugh  away 
the  feeling.  Then  her  eyes  began  to  take  in  strange 
surroundings.  Rocky  walls  and  ceiling;  a  bright  cloth 
hanging  in  front  of  an  opening  and  flapping  idly  in  the 
draft ;  soft  skins  of  various  animals  scattered  over  the 
rough  floor;  a  low  couch  piled  with  cushions  upon 
which  she  had  been  lying;  the  subdued  light  coming 
from  some  unseen  source — all  these  things  mystified 
her,  and  filled  her  with  alarm.  Where  was  she  ?  How 
did  she  get  here  ?  What  was  she  to  do  ?  A  little  cry 
broke  from  her  lips  involuntarily.  At  the  sound  Nero 
sprang  up  from  a  rug  upon  which  he  had  been  keeping 
watch,  stretched  himself,  and  uttered  a  welcoming  bark. 
The  presence  of  Nero  in  such  a  place  puzzled  her,  but 
also  reassured  her.  Surely  wherever  he  was  with  her 
she  must  be  safe. 

Suddenly  a  recollection  of  a  terrible  night  rushed 
over  her ;  bumping  over  a  rough  road  in  an  old  ox-cart ; 
a  crash,  followed  by  a  fall  into  mud  and  water ;  an  appa- 
rition of  Barney  standing  before  her,  torn  and  muddy, 
and  then  flying  down  the  road  like  a  mad  man ;  a  man 
springing  unexpectedly  from  the  darkness  and  dragging 
her  into  the  forest  where  another  man  met  them  and 
urged  her  on ;  a  cry  for  help,  and  a  cruel  bandage  over 

368 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  369 

her  mouth;  a  long,  hurried  tramp  through  brambles 
which  tore  her  clothes  and  scratched  her  hands,  through 
rain,  and  mud,  and  swamp ;  the  sudden  appearance  of 
Nero ;  a  strange  boat  ride  through  tall  rushes ;  a  big 
negro  woman  who  hugged  her ;  and  then — oblivion. 

She  shuddered  as  she  looked  again  around  the  strange 
room,  which  she  now  saw  was  a  cave.  She  dreaded  to 
see  Sam  Hawkins  confront  her.  But  no,  she  was  alone 
with  Nero.  The  great  dog  came  up,  and,  placing  his 
head  in  her  lap,  looked  with  his  soulful  eyes  up  into 
hers.  He  wagged  his  tail  with  delight,  and  seemed  to 
be  telling  her  that  he  would  protect  her  with  his  life. 

Rising  to  her  feet,  Norine  essayed  to  walk,  but  her 
sore  and  weary  limbs  refused  their  offices  for  an  in- 
stant. This  movement  revealed  to  her  the  effect  of 
the  hardships  which  she  had  passed  through  during  the 
night.  She  looked  at  her  clothing.  Her  pretty  dress 
was  torn  and  covered  with  mud.  She  noticed,  likewise, 
that  her  hands  were  badly  scratched,  and  every  joint  of 
her  body  was  stiff  with  pain.  She  sank  back  upon  the 
couch  too  much  frightened  even  to  cry. 

Presently  the  sound  of  voices  reached  her,  and  bend- 
ing her  head  to  a  listening  attitude,  she  caught  notes 
of  music  coming  from  a  distance,  but  still  distinct  and 
sweet.  It  was  an  old  negro  melody,  and  was  being 
sung  by  two  voices : 

"  You  ask  what  makes  dis  darky  weep, 

Why  he  like  oders  am  not  gay— 
What  makes  de  tears  roll  down  his  cheek 

From  early  morn  till  close  ob  day  ? 
My  story,  darkies,  you  shall  hear, 

For  in  my  mem'ry  fresh  it  dwells  ; 
'Twill  cause  you  all  to  drop  a  tear 

O'er  de  grave  ob  my  sweet  Kittie  Wells," 

34 


370  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

Norine  listened,  bewildered.  She  had  often  heard 
that  old  melody,  but  never  so  tenderly  sung  as  now. 
The  sweet  voice  of  the  soprano  reassured  her,  as  it  told 
her  that  one  of  her  own  sex  was  near,  even  though  the 
color  of  her  skin  was  not  the  same  as  her  own.  The 
bass  voice  was  powerful  and  melodious.  After  a  brief 
interval,  the  song  went  on : 

"When  de  birds  were  singin'  in  de  mornin', 
And  de  myrtle  an'  de  ivy  were  in  bloom, 
De  sun  on  de  hill  tops  was  a  dawnin* 
It  was  den  we  laid  her  in  de  tomb. " 

The  pathos  that  came  with  those  tones  told  the 
lonely  girl  as  plainly  as  words  could  do  that  she  had 
nothing  to  fear,  at  least  from  those  tender  hearts  near 
her,  and  she  began  to  hope  that  after  all  she  would  soon 
be  free. 

After  a  while  she  made  another  attempt  to  move,  de- 
termined to  explore  her  surroundings  at  any  cost. 
Nero  stayed  at  her  side  as  she  painfully  walked  about 
in  her  rocky  prison.  Then  she  lifted  the  bright  cloth 
and  made  her  way  out  through  the  opening  into  a  larger 
room.  The  profusion  of  animal  rugs  here  startled  her 
again,  but,  observing  an  exit  through  which  the  sun 
was  shining,  she  hastened  to  it  to  get  once  more  into 
open  air,  away  from  those  enchanted  caves. 

As  she  stepped  outside  she  drew  a  long  sigh  of  re- 
lief, and  inhaled  a  deep  breath  of  the  spring  air.  A 
scene  of  beauty  lay  before  her.  The  budding  trees 
lent  their  fragrance  to  the  air,  and  birds  and  squirrels 
enlivened  the  scene  with  their  songs  and  chatter.  The 
sloping  sward  looked  green  and  lovely.  It  was  perfect, 
as  only  Nature  could  make  it.  The  magnificent  trees 
which  dotted  it  here  and  there  were  beautiful  to  look 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  371 

upon,  and  supplied  an  ideal  setting  to  the  scene.  The 
rippling,  gushing  waterfall  was  a  delight  to  eye  and  ear, 
and  Norine  gazed  upon  all  that  was  thus  unfolded  to 
her  senses  with  mingled  wonder  and  admiration. 

Suddenly  Nero  looked  up,  and  in  an  instant  was 
bounding  down  the  winding  path  which  led  to  a  little 
copse  or  thicket,  upon  reaching  which  he  gave  vent  to 
a  series  of  short  sharp  barks.  A  moment  later  the 
owner  of  a  dark  visage,  bedecked  with  a  large  bandanna, 
came  sauntering  along  the  path  singing  snatches  of 
plantation  melodies.  Nero  had  evidently  bestowed  his 
friendship  without  delay  or  reserve  upon  this  new  ac- 
quaintance, who  had  given  him  such  a  generous  repast 
the  night  before,  for  he  was  now  very  demonstrative  in 
his  expressions  of  pleasure. 

"  Whar  yo'  missus,  Nero  ?  Hab  you  done  run  away 
f  om —  ?  Wy,  bress  my  stahs,  here  she  be,"  and  old  Sue 
brushed  out  her  apron  and  gave  a  tightening  twist  to 
the  bandanna.  "  Is  yuh  done  waked  up,  honey  ?  It's 
pas'  noontime.  Ise  so  glad  to  see  yo'  pretty  eyes,"  and 
she  made  a  courtesy  to  the  young  lady  who  had  been 
thrust  upon  her  motherly  care. 

.  Norine  sprang  toward  the  kindly  negress  and  grasp- 
ing both  of  her  big  brown  hands  gazed  eagerly  into  her 
face. 

"  Oh,  tell  me  what  all  this  means,"  she  begged.  "  I 
am  sure  you  must  be  kind  and  good  or  Nero  wouldn't 
like  you  so.  Tell  me  why  I  am  here  and  how  I  can 
get  home.  My  mother,  and— and  folks  will  be  so 
frightened." 

"  Bress  yo'  haht,  honey.  Didn't  Mars  Sam  done  tell 
yuh  dat  yo'  be  queen  yere  ? "  answered  Sue,  her  eyes 
opening  wide  in  surprise  because  of  the  apparent  igno- 
rance of  her  charge. 


372  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

"  No,  indeed,  he  didn't,  and  I  didn't  come  here  will- 
ingly. He  brought  me  by  force,  he  and  his  friend  Mr. 
Axford.  He  is  a  very  wicked  man.  I  must  go  home 
at  once.  Tell  me  how  I  can  get  away — oh,  do !  do ! " 
she  exclaimed  with  renewed  terror,  as  the  black  woman 
began  shaking  her  head  and  turned  as  if  to  leave  her. 

"  I  don't  know  'bout  dat,  honey,"  she  said,  kindly. 
"  Can't  talk  dat-a  way.  Come  wid  me  an'  I'll  get  yuh 
yo'  dinnah.  Den  yo'll  feel  better." 

"  I  don't  want  to  eat  here,"  cried  Norine  in  anguish. 
"  I  must  find  my  way  through  the  forest  to  my  mother. 
Where  is  the  man  who  was  with  you  last  night  ?  Can't 
he  help  me  ? " 

The  negress  put  her  arm  gently  but  firmly  around 
the  trembling  girl  and  patted  her  pretty,  rumpled  hair. 

H  We'll  talk  'bout  yo'  mammy  while  yo'  eatin'  yuh 
dinne-i.^  ^<>riey.  Yo'  shuah  mus'  eat,  or  yo'  kaint  walk 
a  step  f'om  here.  Yo'  needn't  be  a'feared.  Ole  Pomp 
an'  Sue'll  take  good  cayah  yuh." 

Unable  to  resist  the  gentle,  coaxing  voice  and  the 
strong  arm  of  the  negress,  Norine  submitted  to  being 
led  back  into  the  grotto.  There  Sue  set  before  her  a 
dainty  meal,  comforting  her  all  the  while  with  cooing 
words  and  caressing  touches.  The  poor  girl's  confi- 
dence was  soon  won.  It  seemed  unlikely  that  the  good- 
hearted  woman  would  refuse  any  help  that  lay  in 
her  power.  Norine  determined  to  find  out  all  she 
could  about  the  Strange  place  to  which  she  had  been 
brought. 

"Where  are  we,  Sue?"  she  asked.  "It  seems  so 
different  from  everywhere  else.  Are  we  far  from  Red- 
Keg?" 

"Ah  mus'  confesticate,  honey,  as  ah  doan  know. 
Yuh  see,  honey,  me.  an'  mah  ole  man  come  yere  f'om 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  373 

away  off,  an1  w'en  we  come,  den  Mars  Sam  an'  de  rest 
ob  de  boys  done  an'  fotched  us  yere  in  de  night  wen  it 
wus  dahk  as  Egypt,  an'  ah  doan  know  how  to  get  out. 
Mah  ole  man  be  blin'  foh  shuah,  an'  o'  cose  he  doan 
know  nuther.  Ah  doan  keer,  missus,  as  long  as  de 
boys  are  so  kin'  to  us." 

"  And  are  the  boys  kind  to  you  ? " 

"  Yas,  missus,  dey  be  berry  kin'  to  us.  Only  we  be 
prisoners,  shuah ! " 

"  Who  are  these  boys,  Sue ;  the  only  ones  I  have 
seen  are  Sam  Hawkins  and  Billy  Axford.  Are  there 
more  of  them,  and  who  are  they  ? " 

"  Dar  am  Mars  Sam,  Mars  Seward,  Mars  Billy,  an* 
Mars  Walt." 

"  What !  do  you  mean  Seward  Rathaway  and  Walter 
Hayward  ? " 

"  Yas,  honey,  dat's  dere  names." 

"  Lettie's  cousin ! "  exclaimed  Norine.  "  Can  he  have 
had  anything  to  do  with  this  ? " 

"  Don'  know  who  Lettie  is,"  replied  the  woman. 

"  No,  I  suppose  not.  What  do  the  boys  do  here  ? " 
asked  Norine. 

"  You  is  gettin'  exquisitive,  honey,  an'  if  ah  should 
tell  you — mah  head  would  shuah  fall  inter  de  ribber ! " 
said  Sue  with  a  frightened  look  in  her  calm  eyes. 

"  Well,  what  do  they  intend  to  do  with  me  ? "  insisted 
Norine,  making  another  tack  in  her  conversation,  not 
wishing  that  such  a  calamity  should  fall  upon  Sue  on 
her  account. 

"  Wy,  you's  to  be  queen,  honey;  to  rule  ober  us,"  re- 
plied Sue,  brightening  again. 

Under  other  circumstances  Norine  would  have 
laughed  merrily  at  such  a  grotesque  idea ;  but  now  even 
the  sight  of  a  tattered  and  soiled  gown  on  the  figure  of 


374  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

an  acknowledged  queen  did  not  bring  a  smile  to  her 
face. 

"Where  is  your  husband,  Sue?"  she  asked.  On 
being  told  that  he  was  down  at  the  boat-landing,  Norine 
insisted  upon  being  taken  to  him  at  once.  Sue  reluc- 
tantly obeyed,  and  in  a  few  moments  they  found  Pomp 
lolling  on  the  greensward  near  the  water.  Hearing 
their  footsteps,  he  arose  and  turned  his  face  toward  the 
newcomers,  waiting  for  their  approach. 

"  Hey,  Pomp,  dis  am  de  Missus  as  hab  come  down 
to  see  yuh,"  broke  in  Sue. 

"  Hit  am  a  great  honah  to  receib  yuh,  Missus ;  an' 
Pomp  hoi's  hisself  yo  mos'  humble  subjec',"  replied 
this  worthy,  bowing  low. 

"If  you  are  my  subject,  then,"  exclaimed  Norine,  "I 
command  you  to  take  me  away  from  here  or  tell  me 
how  I  can  get  home.  I  must  go  to-day.  If  I  should 
stay  here  another  night,  it  would  kill  my  poor 
mother." 

"  Ah's  awful  sorry,  Missus ;  but  ah  dassent  tell  yuh 
nuffin.  Yo'  see  ah  hab  no  recumlection  in  dese  cases. 
Ah — yo' — doan  yuh  see,  honey — Pomp  lose  his  head  in 
de  ribber  ef  ah  tell  yuh  too  much !  'Sides  I  don'  know 
where  we  is  mahself,  an'  ah  couldn't  fin'  mah  way  out'n 
heyuh  ef  ah  tried." 

Repeated  entreaties  and  1;ears  failed  to  accomplish 
anything.  Old  Pomp  and  Sue  showed  every  evidence 
of  sympathy  for  the  unhappy  girl,  and  were  untiring  in 
their  efforts  to  make  her  comfortable,  but  either  they 
could  not  or  feared  to  assist  her  to  leave  the  island.  In 
response  to  inquiry  she  learned  that  her  captors  did  not 
expect  to  return  for  a  week  or  more  for  fear  of  being 
followed.  She  hoped  some  of  her  friends  would  find 
her  before  then.  Her  parents  and  Barney,  she  knew, 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  375 

would  be  frantic  with  grief  and  anxiety  over  her  disap- 
pearance, not  knowing  whether  she  was  dead  or  alive, 
and  she  longed  to  send  some  message  of  comfort  to 
them.  No  way  for  doing  so  presented  itself,  and  not 
a  particle  of  information  as  to  her  whereabouts  could, 
she  get  from  the  two  colored  people,  who  really  seemed 
to  be  as  much  in  ignorance  as  she.  Each  morning  she 
told  herself  that  surely  some  one  would  come  for  her 
before  night ;  but  each  evening  despair  settled  down 
more  heavily  upon  her  and  she  sobbed  herself  to  sleep 
among  the  cushions  of  her  couch.  Barney  she  knew 
was  hunting  for  her  night  and  day.  She  felt  it.  Her 
father  and  the  neighbors,  too,  would  leave  nothing  un- 
done to  find  her;  but  she  wondered  and  grew  discour- 
aged as  day  followed  day  with  no  sign  of  a  rescue  party. 
Perhaps  they  were  near  at  hand.  If  only  she  could 
make  some  signal  that  they  would  see  or  hear.  She 
hunted  through  the  grotto,  but  could  find  no  fire-arms. 
Every  day  she  wandered  about  the  island  seeking  for 
some  point  of  escape,  but  the  swamp  surrounded  it  on 
all  sides.  She  spent  houis  on  the  top  of  the  hill  in  the 
middle  of  the  island,  straining  her  eyes  in  every  direc- 
tion over  the  swamp  and  forest,  but  could  see  nothing 
which  indicated,  a  relief  party,  because  she  could  see 
only  the  tops  of  the  trees  and  the  tall  waving  swamp- 
grass. 

Norine  soon  learned  that  there  was  a  fine  garden  on 
the  island,  and  Sue  occupied  much  of  her  time  caring 
for  this.  Pomp  had  done  the  spading  for  it,  and  Sue 
did  the  planting  and  then  nurtured  the  young  plants  as 
they  came  forth. 

While  wandering  one  day  further  than  usual  she  dis- 
covered the  secret  of  the  island.  For  a  while  she  was 
nonplussed  at  her  find,  but  it  was  not  long  before  she 


3/6  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

divined  its  meaning.  That  portion  of  the  island  was 
rocky  like  the  part  in  which  the  grotto  was  located, 
but  its  abrupt  side  came  down  to  the  edge  of  the  swamp, 
leaving  only  a  narrow  way  in  front  of  it.  Norine  at 
first  hesitated  about  venturing  upon  this  narrow  path, 
but  finally  she  yielded  to  curiosity  and  the  hope  of  es- 
cape, and  went.  She  found  that  an  excavation  had  been 
made  into  the  face  of  the  cliff,  and  therein  were  queer 
looking  receptacles,  vats,  coils,  and  retorts,  which  were 
new  to  her.  But  the  smell  of  spirits  convinced  her 
that  she  had  discovered  a  distillery.  The  fires  were 
out,  and  all  was  silent.  It  was  evident  to  her  mind 
that  it  was  at  least  temporarily  abandoned,  because  the 
boys  were  away.  Directly  in  front  of  the  still  was  a 
dock  and  on  this  were  stored  casks  and  bottles  and 
boxes.  A  branch  of  the  canal  ended  at  this  place.  At 
the  end  of  the  dock  was  a  boat  somewhat  larger  than  a 
canoe,  which  was  no  doubt  used  for  transporting  the 
product  of  the  distillery.  It  was  held  with  chains,  and 
these  in  turn  were  locked  securely ;  so  Norine  saw  no 
escape  from  that  source. 

One  bright  afternoon,  as  she  was  taking  her  accus- 
tomed walk  around  the  island,  Norine  again  wandered 
down  toward  the  still.  She  mounted  the  dock,  and 
then  stepping  down  into  the  boat,  sat  there  a  while  lis- 
tening to  the  song-birds  and  the  chatter  of  some  blue- 
jays  hovering  near.  She  was  thinking  of  Barney,  and 
wondering  if  she  would  ever  see  him  and  her  mother 
and  home  again,  when  in  her  sadness  there  came  to 
her  the  words  of  a  favorite  refrain,  and  involuntarily 
she  began  to  sing  in  a  sweet  voice  the  song  which  had 
stirred  the  hearts  of  thousands — "  Dreaming  of  home, 
dear  old  home ;  dreaming  of  home  and  mother."  As 
she  finished  the  first  verse,  her  voice  broke  in  a  sob, 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  377 

and  bowing  her  head  on  her  hands,  she  gave  way  to  a 
flood  of  tears. 

Hearing  a  splash  in  the  water  beside  her,  she  raised 
her  eyes  and  was  about  to  utter  a  scream,  as  she  beheld 
in  the  water  before  her  a  man,  immersed  nearly  up  to 
his  shoulders.  A  warning  look  in  his  eyes,  as  he  placed 
one  hand  on  his  lips  to  command  silence,  restrained 
her ;  but  she  stood  up  and  looked  more  closely  at  the 
intruder,  at  the  same  time  making  ready  to  flee  if  nec- 
essary. A  moment's  inspection,  however,  revealed  to 
her  astonished  gaze  the  man  whose  life  Barney  had 
saved  at  the  roll  way  some  weeks  before — Jim  Lane,  of 
Belfast. 

"  Are  you  alone  ? "  were  the  first  words  he  uttered, 
and  these  almost  in  a  whisper. 

She  felt  like  shouting  out  in  joy  at  the  sight  of  a 
rescuer,  as  she  at  once  believed  him  to  be,  for  she  saw 
in  his  face  the  honest  candor  of  a  man  she  could  trust. 
But  discretion  controlled  her,  and  she  answered  in  a 
low  tone,  her  eyes  brightening  through  her  tears,  that 
others  were  not  far  distant. 

Then  in  a  few  words  she  explained  her  position,  and 
in  the  mean  time  her  visitor  clambered  out  of  the  chilly 
water  and  stood  upon  the  boat  in  the  warmth  of  the 
bright  sunshine. 

"How  did  you  get  here?"  Norine  asked,  full  of 
eagerness  and  curiosity. 

"I  have  swum  and  waded  I  don't  know  how  far. 
Many  a  time  I  was  almost  ready  to  turn  back,  for  1 
could  see  no  evidences  of  life  on  either  hand,  and  I 
didn't  know  what  I  was  getting  into.  Finally  I  came 
to  a  fork  in  the  stream,  and  here  I  was  nonplussed, 
was  chilled  and  almost  exhausted,  and  at  the  same  time 
discouraged,  for  I  thought  I  must  be  on  the  wrong 


378  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

track.  Even  the  banks  of  the  stream  showed  no  touch 
of  a  human  hand  or  foot,  and  I  was  about  to  retrace 
my  way  when  I  heard  some  one  singing.  I  followed  the 
sound  and  here  I  found  you.  I  am  so  thankful.  You 
were  brought  here  by  Sam  Hawkins  and  his  pals,  were 
you  not  ? " 

"  Yes ;  but  how  did  you  know  it  ?  Are  they  discov- 
ered ? " 

"  No  one  knows  of  it  as  yet  but  myself.  Never  mind 
how  I  found  out.  I  did  not  know  exactly  where  you 
were  hidden,  and  I  wished  to  find  you  before  those 
young  scoundrels  returned.  I  have  been  hunting 
through  the  swamp  and  forest  of  this  region  for  nearly 
a  week.  What  a  wonderful  hiding  place  this  is  to  be 
sure." 

"  Tell  me  about  my  dear  parents — and  Barney.  Are 
they  very  much  worried  ? "  pleaded  the  girl. 

"  The  blow  has  been  almost  too  much  for  them,  but 
they  are  still  doing  everything  conceivable  to  get  news 
of  you.  Your  Uncle  Orrin  from  Belfast  has  come  and 
is  with  them,  helping  and  comforting  surprisingly.  As 
for  Barney,  the  poor  boy  is  crushed  with  grief.  He 
has  been  hunting  far  and  wide  through  the  wilderness 
every  night,  and  going  without  food,  until  he  was  nearly 
dead  with  sorrow  and  exhaustion.  Last  night  I  found 
him  in  the  forest  in  the  embrace  of  a  great  black  bear, 
and  I  finished  the  beast  just  in  time  to  prevent  him 
from  doing  the  same  for  Barney.  I  sent  the  boy  home 
this  morning  to  get  well,  telling  him  that  you  were 
safe,  and  that  he  must  leave  me  to  find  you." 

The  tears  rolled  down  Norine's  face  as  she  listened 
to  the  recital  of  the  sorrow  of  her  loved  ones,  and  she 
murmured,  "  Poor  dear  mama  and  papa,"  and  then  to 
herself,  "  Poor  dear  Barney." 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  379 

"  Well,  my  friend,  I  am  warm  and  must  now  start 
away,  because  I  don't  want  your  guardians  to  discover 
me.  Remain  here  and  be  patient  till  you  hear  from  me 
again,  and  do  not  give  any  hint  of  my  visit.  The  old 
darkies  are  kind,  you  say,  so  you  will  be  all  right." 

"  Oh,  they  are  so  kind  to  me.  Don't  let  any  harm 
come  to  them ! " 

Lane  promised  that  he  would  endeavor  to  protect  the 
colored  couple,  and  then  shaking  hands  with  Norine, 
he  turned  to  let  himself  down  into  the  water.  Before 
doing  so  he  glanced  for  the  first  time  at  the  cliff,  and 
then  with  a  sudden  sniff  at  the  air,  he  almost  shouted, 
so  intense  was  his  excitement. 

"  Ah !  What  is  that  ? "  he  exclaimed  in  a  suppressed 
voice,  as  he  pointed  to  the  cave. 

"  That  ?  Why,  I  just  discovered  it  myself  for  the 
first  time  the  other  day.  I  think  it  must  be  a  distil- 
lery," and  as  she  spoke  Lane  bounded  past  her,  and  in 
a  twinkling  was  inside  the  cavern. 

"  Just  what  I  have  been  looking  for  for  the  past  year, 
and  here  I  have  stumbled  upon  it  by  accident,"  and  he 
looked  eagerly  around  at  his  find,  noting  the  piled  sacks 
of  corn  and  the  great  still. 

To  delay  there  any  longer  might  endanger  complete 
success,  and  so  bidding  Norine  good-by  until  he  should 
see  her  again  under  more  favorable  circumstances,  he 
clambered  off  from  the  dock  into  the  canal. 

"Keep  a  lookout  for  Pomp,"  warned  Norine. 
is  on  the  river  most  of  the  time.    He  is  totally  blind 
and  can't  see  you,  but  his  hearing  is  very  acute.    Be 
very  careful." 

It  was  well  that  the  advice  was  given,  for  otherwise 
Lane,  no  doubt,  would  have  returned  with  more  haste 
than  prudence,  and  thus  would  have  been  heard  by  the 


38o  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

ever  alert  negro.  Just  as  became  in  sight  of  the  forks 
of  the  canal,  he  saw  the  old  boatman  paddling  along 
toward  him,  his  boat  keeping  as  unerringly  in  the  mid- 
dle of  the  stream  as  though  he  could  see. 

Lane  stopped,  crept  up  close  to  the  bank,  and  allowed 
the  old  darky  to  pass.  When  he  was  out  of  hearing 
the  tedious  journey  was  resumed,  and  before  sundown 
the  detective  had  reached  the  landing ;  tired,  cold,  and 
hungry,  but  more  than  satisfied  with  his  day's  work. 


CHAPTER  XXVIII 

THE  day  after  the  surreptitious  visit  of  Jim  Lane, 
Norine  was  walking  with  Sue  just  after  sunrise  toward 
the  top  of  the  hill  which  was  near  the  centre  of  the 
island.  Hope  had  been  planted  by  Lane's  visit  and 
had  grown  over  night  into  vigorous  life.  The  beauti- 
ful morning  cheered  her.  All  nature  seemed  to  smile 
its  glad  greeting  to  the  glimmering  sunlight  that  shone 
in  brightness  around,  and  she  responded  with  a  cheer- 
ful face  and  lighter  heart. 

While  they  stood  gazing  around  the  horizon  to  the 
southward,  Norine  espied  three  puffs  of  smoke,  as  from 
a  gun,  and  then  two  more  in  rapid  succession.  Scarcely 
had  the  eye  beheld,  when  the  ear  took  up  the  following 
report. 

"  One,  two,  three ;  one,  two,"  she  said,  as  she  took 
note  of  the  strange  occurrence.  "  Do  you  know  what 
that  means,  Sue  ?  Is  it  a  signal  ? " 

"  It  am  de  boys,  it  am  de  boys ! "  fairly  yelled  Sue, 
and  without  a  word  further  she  rushed  down  to  the 
landing  where  Pomp  was  just  pushing  off  his  boat. 
Norine  followed  more  slowly,  with  fear  springing  anew 
in  her  heart.  Could  it  be  that  Mr.  Lane  had  failed  ? 
What  did  it  all  mean  ? 

It  was,  in  fact,  the  Invincibles  returning  to  the  island. 
According  to  the  agreement  made  at  their  conference 
in  the  club-room  over  Pete's  saloon  a  week  previously, 
they  were  all  at  the  place  of  meeting  on  time.  Each 
had  arrived  at  the  landing  by  a  circuitous  route,  and 

381 


382  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

just  as  Norine  and  Sue  reached  the  top  of  the  hill,  Sew< 
ard  raised  his  big  Colt's  revolver  and  fired  five  shots. 
This  was  the  cause  of  the  commotion  on  the  island. 

Pomp  made  haste,  and  in  due  time,  though  it  seemed 
an  age  to  the  nervous  boys,  the  canoe  came  near,  and 
then,  to  make  sure,  Pomp  gave  the  raccoon  signal  while 
yet  under  cover.  It  was  answered  promptly,  and  the 
canoe  and  Pomp  came  into  sight.  The  boys  sprang  in 
hurriedly. 

"  Shove  off ! "  commanded  Seward. 

"  Hands  up ! "  came  as  a  thunderbolt  from  a  clear 
sky.  "  The  first  man  who  moves  is  a  dead  un." 

Without  delay  the  Invincibles,  including  Pomp,  raised 
their  hands  high  in  air. 

"  Bring  that  boat  of  yours  to  shore  and  disembark, 
please,  and  be  quick  about  it." 

For  the  first  time  all  eyes  were  turned  toward  the 
speaker.  About  a  hundred  feet  away,  with  muskets 
levelled  at  the  culprits,  stood  five  resolute  men,  and  at 
their  head  was  John  Lawrence,  otherwise  known  as 
"John  Long,"  the  clever  detective,  who  as  a  tramp  had 
gone  to  sleep  in  the  den  of  the  Invincibles  but  a  week 
before,  and  as  "  Jim  Lane  "  had  met  with  an  accident 
in  the  rollway. 

"The  game's  up,  boys,"  said  Walt,  with  resignation. 
"Might  as  well  surrender."  Then,  turning  toward 
their  captors,  he  coolly  asked :  "  What  is  it  you  want, 
and  under  what  charge  are  we  held  ? " 

"Up  with  your  hands,  there,  you  black  nigger!" 
spoke  up  a  gruff  voice  as  Pomp  had  unconsciously  low- 
ered his  hands  for  a  minute. 

"Yas,  Mars,  I  is  hab  'em  up,"  and  the  poor  darky 
trembled  with  fear  pitiful  to  behold,  for  he  expected  a 
bullet  through  him  at  any  moment. 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  383 

"We  have  warrants  for  the  arrest,  dead  or  alive,  of 
Walter  Haywood,  William  Axford,  Seward  Rathaw'ay, 
and  Samuel  Hawkins,  issued  out  of  the  United  States 
District  Court,  upon  the  charge  of  operating  an  illicit  still 
and  disposing  of  the  products  thereof  contrary  to  the 
statutes  of  the  United  States,"  announced  Lawrence. 

"  We  have  also  a  warrant  for  Samuel  Hawkins  for 
the  crime  of  abducting,  with  malice  prepense,  one  No- 
rine  Maloney. 

"  Also,  another  warrant  for  the  said  Hawkins,  charg- 
ing him  with  a  felonious  assault  upon  the  person  of  one 
Lettie  Green,  with  intent  to  commit  the  crime  of  homi- 
cide. 

"  We  have  other  warrants,  but  I  guess  you've  heard 
enough  to  convince  you  that  you  will  have  to  come 
with  us.  You  will  pease  step  forward  as  your  names 
are  separately  called,'-'  and  he  then  proceeded  to  call 
the  roll.  One  by  one  they  came  forward  to  receive  the 
bracelets,  the  rifles  still  levelled  at  their  breasts. 

A  look  of  stoicism  crept  into  the  faces  of  the  first 
three,  and  they  made  no  attempt  at  resistance  or  pro- 
test ;  but  Sam's  face  was  the  picture  of  despair.  He 
was  trembling  violently,  and  as  his  name  was  called, 
he  suddenly  jerked  down  his  hand,  drew  his  revolver, 
and  pointed  it  at  his  head.  As  his  finger  pressed  the 
trigger  his  arm  was  thrown  upward  by  a  quick  blow  of 
a  rifle  in  the  hands  of  Tom  Moore,  who  had  been  watch- 
ing Sam  closely  and  sprang  forward  just  in  time.  The 
(bullet  flew  harmlessly  over  his  head,  and  his  hands 
•were  soon  fast  in  the  handcuffs. 

"Come  up  here,  you  imp  of  darkness— come  up 
here ! "  and  the  owner  of  the  gruff  voice  stepped  toward 
the  darky,  who  was  trembling  from  head  to  foot,  his 
teeth  chattering,  and  his  knees  fairly  shaking  together. 


384  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

"  Doan  yuh  see,  Mars,  ah  am  blin'  ? "  and  poor  Pomp 
rolled  his  eyes  and  moved  his  head  from  side  to  side  in 
abject  terror. 

"  We  have  no  charge  against  that  helpless  old  man ! " 
said  Lawrence,  sternly.  "Let  him  go  back  to  his 
home.  Mr.  O'Boyle,  if  you  will  come  with  me,  we  will 
take  this  boat  here  with  our  colored  friend,  and  he  will 
guide  us  to  the  retreat  where  we  shall  find  the  young 
lady  you  seek."  Then  turning  to  Tom  Moore,  he  add- 
ed: "Constable,  under  no  circumstances  allow  these 
men  to  escape.  Keep  them  well  guarded  till  we  return, 
which  will  be  in  a  very  short  time."  Then  he  laugh- 
ingly drew  from  his  pockets  four  familiar-looking  flasks 
and  exhibited  them  to  the  prisoners.  A  faint  smile  ap- 
peared on  the  faces  of  Walt  and  Billy  as  they  recog- 
nized the  flasks,  which  were  still  full. 

"I  never  indulge,  boys,  though  sometimes,  in  the 
line  of  business,  I  have  to  go  through  the  motions." 

So  saying,  he  tossed  the  flasks  into  the  swamp ;  then 
stepping  into  the  boat  with  Barney  and  the  negro,  he 
pushed  off  toward  Mystic  Isle. 

As  soon  as  Pomp  had  left  them,  Norine  and  Sue  re- 
turned to  the  top  of  the  hill.  The  negress  gave  the 
girl  a  pair  of  field-glasses  and  pointed  in  the  direction 
of  the  landing. 

"  I'm  sure,  Sue,  that  there  are  more  than  four  men 
down  there,"  she  exclaimed  at  last.  "I  can  even  see 
the  shimmer  of  the  sun  as  though  along  gun-barrels. 
There  must  be  trouble.  Yes,  there  are  nearly  a  dozen 
men,  but  I  can  not  recognize  any  of  them." 

Suddenly  a  single  pistol  shot  was  heard.  Then  all 
was  quiet. 

As  she  waited,  the  minutes  seemed  like  hours  to 
her,  but  at  last  she  heard  the  voice  of  old  Pomp  calling 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  385 

in  great  excitement:  "Missy  Norine,  come  down 
yere,  quick,"  and,  losing  no  time,  she  was  soon  at  the 
landing. 

There  was  the  boat ;  there  was  Pomp  swinging  his 
arms  wildly  and  shouting  to  Sue;  there  was  her  friend 
Mr.  Lane — there  was  Barney ! 

In  an  instant  she  found  her  "  home  "  in  his  strong 
embrace. 

In  front  of  Pete's  place  a  small  group  of  idlers  sat 
smoking,  chewing,  and  gossipping.  Old  "Leather- 
back,"  a  tanned  and  wrinkled  lumberman,  whose  nick- 
name suited  him  to  a  dot,  was  complaining  because  Pete 
had  just  refused  him  a  third  glass  of  whiskey  on  the 
plea  that  his  stock  was  unusually  low. 

"  Hain't  got  in  a  supply  for  some  time,  ye  know. 
My  agent  hes  been  unable  ter  'tend  ter  bus'ness  fer 
nigh  on  two  weeks.  Last  I  heard,  he  was  countin'  on 
startin'  up  agin  this  week.  Reckon  we'll  be  able  ter 
stock  up  soon  now,"  explained  Pete. 

Old  Leatherback  squinted  at  Pete  out  of  the  corner 
of  his  eye,  and  remarked : 

"Thet  'ere  'agent'  o'  your'n  is  a  mighty  fly  critter; 
I've  heerd  ye  talk  about  'im  a  good  deal,  but  I  never 
sot  eyes  on  'im  yet.  Where's  he  keep  hisself  ? " 

"  Like  enough  thet's  his  business,"  said  Pete,  shortly. 
His  love  for  imparting  information  seemed  suddenly 
to  have  deserted  him. 

"  Hear  anythin'  'bout  thet  Maloney  gal  all  this  rum- 
pus is  about  ? "  asked  Old  Leatherback,  after  a  pause, 
looking  around  at  the  loungers. 

"No,  ain't  heerd  nothin',"  answered  Jack  Mann. 
"Why,  are  ye  figgerin'  on  winnin'  thet  five  thousan' ? " 
he  queried  with  a  sneer. 
•5 


386  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

Leatherback  rolled  a  monster  quid  out  of  his  mouth, 
deposited  it  on  the  bench,  gazed  at  it  a  moment,  and 
finally  picked  it  up  and  tossed  it  into  the  road.  Then 
he  spread  his  legs  apart,  placed  his  elbows  on  his  knees, 
poked  his  head  forward,  and  squinted  into  the  faces  of 
the  two  men  before  him.  Presently  he  said,  senten- 
tiously : 

"  Five  thousand's  five  thousand." 

After  a  silence  of  seme  minutes,  Pete  ventured  a 
remark. 

"  Jes'  so,"  said  he. 

Another  pause  Jack  Mann  fidgeted  a  bit  but  said 
nothing.  Pete  waited.  Leatherback  pulled  out  his 
square  of  tobaccc.  cut  off  a  fresh  hunk,  and  stuffed  it 
away  in  his  cheek 

"I  been  thinkin/'  he  began  slowly;  "I  been  think- 
in' — thunder!" 

Leatherback's  intended  revelation  of  his  thoughts 
was  interrupted  by  the  sudden  exclamation  because  he 
caught  sight  of  a  horseman  dashing  down  the  road  at 
breakneck  speed. 

"Well,  in  the  name  of  all  darnation,  Joe,  what's 
up  ? "  asked  Leatherback,  as  Joe  drew  rein  before  the 
Keg  and  sprang  from  his  horse. 

"  Up  ?  Everythin's  up.  Norine's  found,  the  Invin- 
cibles  hev  all  been  taken  prisoners,  an'  Tom  Moore  an' 
his  posse  hes'  'em,  an'  is  bringin'  the  hull  kit  of  'em  in, 
— an'  they've  got  the  bracelets  on — Sam  Hawkins,  an' 
all  the  rest." 

As  Joe  Reon  shouted  out  his  exciting  news,  neither 
he,  nor  the  loungers  at  the  Keg,  noticed  a  trim  little 
figure  just  passing  01  :ht  jtner  side  of  the  road.  She 
stopped  an  instani  to  listen  to  Joe,  trembled  a  little, 
and  then  hurried  on,  and  was  quickly  out  of  sight. 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  387 

Norine  and  Barney  had  reached  home  by  way  of  the 
crossroad  from  Wilford,  and  thus  had  avoided  the  vil- 
lage and  the  curious  eyes  of  the  gossips.  The  joy  of 
home-coming  would  be  marred  by  a  crowd  of  intruders 
if  they  were  seen.  The  Hawkins  farm  lay  between 
them  and  Norine's  home,  and  Uncle  Si  would  be  the 
first  one  to  know  of  the  return.  Fearing  that  the  sud- 
den excitement  might  be  too  much  for  the  old  man, 
Norine  waited  in  the  orchard  while  Barney  went  in  to 
find  Uncle  Si  and  break  the  news.  He  dreaded  to  tell 
him  that  his  only  son  was  indeed  the  guilty  man,  but 
he  hoped  to  soften  the  blow,  as  any  one  else  might  not 
do.  He  found  Farmer  Hawkins  in  the  barn  and  greeted 
him  with  a  cheery  "  Good-mornin',"  although  it  was 
well  toward  noon. 

"Good-morning,  Barney;  where  have  you  been? 
You  must  have  started  out  long  before  sun  up.  I 
didn't  hear  you." 

"  Yes,  Uncle  Si.  It  was  airly  business  I  was  after 
attindin'  to.  Ye  didn't  see  Sam  last  night  or  this 
mornin',  did  ye  ? " 

"  No,"  replied  Mr.  Hawkins,  with  a  sigh.  "  He  spent 
the  night  with  Seward,  I  suppose.  You  haven't  heard 
anything  unpleasant  about  him,  I  hope?"  he  added 
anxiously. 

"  Faith,  I've  been  so  taken  up  lookin'  for  Norine,  I 
don't  consarn  meself  much  about  Sam,  unless  followin' 
him  would  lead  me  to  her,"  replied  Barney,  evasively. 

"  Do  you  really  think  he  did  it,  Barney  ? "  The  old 
man's  voice  trembled.  This  was  the  first  time  the  sub- 
ject had  been  spoken  of  so  plainly  between  them. 

"  Sometimes  I  hevn't  thought  so,  an'  sometimes,  bc- 
gorra,  I  hev,"  admitted  Barney,  and  then  he  continued : 
"That  tramp  yarn  don't  seem  to  hold  water,  an'  there 


388  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

ain't  any  one  else  as  I  know  of,  who  was  set  on  bavin* 
Norine  agin  her  wishes,  or  who  hed  a  grudge  agin 
me." 

Farmer  Hawkins  groaned  at  this  plain  statement  of 
his  own  fears,  and  said:  "That's  so,  Barney.  I've 
thought  of  it  again  and  again,  but  Sam  has  been  quiet 
and  sober  lately,  and  has  been  at  home  most  of  the 
time.  I  had  begun  to  hope  that  he  was  really  innocent, 
as  he  claims.  It  would  be  dreadful,  Barney,  if  he " 

"There,  Uncle  Si,  don't  be  after  feelin'  so  bad. 
Sure,  ye  done  your  duty  by  the  lad.  Ef  it  should  turn 
out  that  no  harm  hes  come  to  Norine,  an'  that  she 
comes  back  safe  home,  it  wouldn't  be  so  bad." 

"  God  grant  it ! "  exclaimed  Uncle  Si. 

"  Ef  ye  could  only  see  the  darlint  this  blessed  minute, 
sure  she'd  make  up  for  the  sorrows  the  boy  hes  brought 
ye  by  his  doin's." 

"  She  is  a  sweet  girl,  Barney,  and  it  would  be  a  great 
comfort  to  me  to  see  her  again  safe  an'  sound.  I  love 
her  almost  as  a  daughter.  But  it  has  been  so  long  now 
since  she  was  lost,  I'm  beginning  to  lose  hope." 

"  Faith,  ye  must  niver  do  that.  Look  at  me.  She 
is  the  light  of  me  eyes,  an'  I'm  sure  this  very  minute 
they  shall  feast  themselves  on  her  swate  face  agin. 
Begorra,  we  hevn't  looked  for  her  enough.  We've 
been  lookin*  away  off  in  the  woods  an'  the  swamp. 
More  like  she's  nearer  home.  Hev  ye  looked  in  the 
attic,  Uncle  Si,  an'  in  the  barn,  an'  in  the  garden,  an* 
in  the  orchard  ?  Hev  ye ? " 

Uncle  Si  stared  at  Barney  in  amazement,  and  the 
suspicion  began  to  grow  that  his  mind  had  given  way 
under  the  strain,  but  Barney  seized  him  by  the  arm  and 
continued: 

"Come,  this  blessed  minute,  Uncle  Si.     We  must 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  389 

make  up  for  lost  time.  Sure,  she  must  be  somewJure, 
and,  by  hivin,  we'll  find  her  in  a  jiffy ! " 

Dragging  the  astonished  farmer  once  around  the 
barn,  he  poked  hurriedly  into  the  hay-loft,  into  the 
corn-barrel,  into  the  oat-bin ;  then  out  across  the  barn- 
yard into  the  garden,  dodging  under  syringa  bushes, 
and  lilacs,  and  through  the  grape  arbor,  continually  re- 
peating, "  She  must  be  somewhere,  and  I  know  we  can 
find  her  in  a  jiffy,  you  and  I ! "  Soon  they  reached  the 
fence  separating  the  garden  from  the  orchard.  Pulling 
Uncle  Si  through  the  little  gate,  Barney  hurried  him 
on.  The  old  man  was  now  certain  that  Barney  had 
gone  crazy,  but  the  latter  kept  insisting,  "  Sure,  she 
must  be  somewhere,  an'  you  an'  I  will  find  her."  They 
dodged  among  the  trees,  Barney  now  and  then  telling 
Uncle  Si  to  look  up  into  the  branches  to  see  if  he  could 
see  Norine.  At  last  they  came  to  the  corner  of  the 
orchard  where  Barney  had  built  a  little  secluded  rustic 
seat  for  himself  and  Norine  that  same  spring.  With 
a  last  cheery  assurance  that  Norine  "  must  be  some- 
where, an*  most  likely  here"  Barney  suddenly  brought 
his  friend  and  employer  to  the  rustic  seat,  and  Norine 
sprang  from  it  and  threw  her  arms  about  Uncle  Si's 
neck  with  a  glad  cry  of  greeting. 

The  old  man  looked  from  one  to  the  other  of  the 
young  people  with  tears  in  his  eyes,  but  Barney  grinned 
and  remarked  boastingly,  "  I  told  ye  she  would  be  likely 
near  by,  an'  that  we  would  find  her  in  a  jiffy  ef  Uncle 
Si  took  a  hand  in  the  sarch ;  but  we  mustn't  stop  here. 
Sure  Norine  is  wanted  at  home  to  bring  joy  to  the  eyes 
an'  hearts  of  her  own  parents  an'  Uncle  Orrin.  Come 
along,  Uncle  Si,  an'  we'll  tell  ye  the  hull  story  on  the 
way." 

"I  thought  you  were  crazy,  lad— but,  thaqk  Godl 


390  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

you  wasn't,"  said  Uncle  Si,  as  he  prepared  to  accom- 
pany the  young  people  to  the  Maloney  homestead. 

The  first  to  arrive  at  the  home  of  Norine  to  con- 
gratulate her  upon  her  rescue  was  her  friend  Lettie 
Green,  who  had  overheard  Joe  Reon  as  he  told  the 
news  to  the  loungers  at  Red-Keg.  She  kissed  Norine 
affectionately ;  but  there  were  tears  in  her  eyes,  and 
she  hid  her  face  for  a  moment  on  her  friend's  shoul- 
der. Norine  stroked  her  hair  and  hugged  her  close, 
but  said  nothing,  feeling  that  it  was  hardly  the  right 
moment  for  confidential  words  on  a  subject  so  painful 
as  that  which  she  knew  brought  those  tears  to  Lettie's 
eyes. 

While  the  family  group  discussed  the  affair  and  plied 
Norine  with  questions,  Lettie  sat  silent  a  little  apart, 
busy  with  her  own  thoughts.  The  crimson  came  and 
went  in  her  cheeks,  and  she  seemed  restive  and  uncom- 
fortable, but  she  made  no  move  to  depart  until  Barney, 
who  had  remained  for  some  time  after  Uncle  Si  had 
returned  to  his  farm,  excused  himself,  regretfully,  say- 
ing that  he  must  get  to  his  work,  and  would  come  again 
in  the  evening.  As  he  arose  to  go,  Lettie  excused  her- 
self also,  and  asked  if  she  might  walk  up  the  road  with 
him  part  of  the  way. 

"  Sure,  Miss  Lettie,  I'll  be  plased  ter  have  yer  com- 
pany," said  Barney,  cordially ;  but  as  they  walked  along 
together,  neither  seemed  very  much  to  enjoy  the  other's 
company.  Lettie,  particularly,  was  embarrassed,  and 
found  it  more  difficult  than  she  expected  to  speak  of 
the  things  in  her  heart. 

"Barney,"  she  began  after  a  long  silence,  "you  are 
glad  to  get  Norine  back  again,  aren't  you  ? " 

"  Indade,  Miss  Lettie,  I  am,  an'  no  mistake.  Sure, 
we're  all  mighty  glad,  I'm  thinkin'." 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  391 

"Then  you  can  afford  to  be  generous  and  forgiving, 
can't  you,  Barney?"  pleaded  Lettie.  "I'm  afraid- 
Sam— will  need  all  the  mercy  and  forgiveness  we  can 
give  him,  poor  boy." 

"  Ye  may  well  say  that,  Miss  Lettie,  but  it's  mighty 
little  mercy  he's  showed  to  others,  an'  it's  mighty  little 
he  nade  ask  for  here.  The  sooner  he's  put  where  he 
belongs,  the  better  it  will  be  for  all  consarned." 

"  But,  Barney,  you  know  we  are  told  to  forgive  our 
enemies  and  do  good  to  them  that  despitef  ully  use  us." 

"  I  don't  know  so  much  about  that,  an'  I  can't  say  es 
I  ever  heard  that  oayin'  quoted  by  any  except  them  es 
wanted  to  save  themselves  from  somethin'  they  de- 
sarved  to  get ;  but,  sure,  there'd  be  plenty  to  do  good 
to  Sam  ef  all  he'd  despitefully  used  should  follow  that 
rule.  He  broke  his  poor  old  mother's  heart.  She's 
.gone.  But  there's  others.  He  tried  three  times  to 
kill  me.  He  stole  Norine  away,  an'  dragged  her 
through  the  forest  an'  swamp,  an'  kep'  her  away  all 
this  time  from  her  home.  He  tried  to  kill  yer  own 
swate  self,  an'  came  near  to  doin'  it.  He  hes " 

"Barney!  How  did  you  know  tJiat?"  exclaimed 
Lettie,  with  a  sudden  alarm  ringing  in  her  voice. 

"  Sure,  everybody  knows  it — or  soon  will.  That  was 
one  o'  the  charges  for  his  arrist.  It  strikes  me,  Miss 
Lettie,  you  hev  es  little  cause  es  any  to  be  asy  with 
the  rapscallion.  He's  bad  clane  through,  an'  ain't  worth 
your  trouble." 

"  Oh,  Barney,  have  pity,  if  not  for  his  sake,  at  least 
for  the  sake  of  his  poor  old  father.  I'm  afraid  this 
blow  will  kill  him,  if  he  is  not  comforted.  He  has 
been  a  kind  friend  to  you.  Now  in  his  time  of  need, 
you  can  repay  his  kindness  on  his  son." 

"Faith,  Miss  Lettie,  you're  right  about  dear  old 


392  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

Uncle  Si,  but  what  can  I  do  ?  Sam  hes  got  himself  into 
the  clutches  o;  the  law  for  a  list  o'  crimes  es  long  es 
my  arm.  It's  no  grudge  o'  mine  thet'll  be  holdin'  him. 
He'll  likely  get  his  desarts  for  all  I  can  do  to  help  or 
prevint.  Sure,  nobody  knows  it  better  than  his  father, 
God  help  him ! " 

"  At  least  you  can  refuse  to  press  any  charge  against 
him  yourself,  and  you  can  persuade  Norine  to  do  the 
same — please,  Barney." 

"  An'  goodness  knows  .there'll  be  no  nade  for  me  to 
priss  charges,  or  for  Norine  to  priss  thim  for  thet  mat- 
ter. He  was  caught  rid-handed,  ye  might  say,  an'  ef 
that  ain't  enough,  he  was  heard  to  tell  the  Invincibles 
all  about  his  own  doin's,  not  forgettin'  the  attack  on 
yerself." 

"Who  heard  him?" 

"  The  tramp,  no  less.  He  was  a  sure  enough  detec- 
tive in  disguise." 

"  Then  I  must  find  him,  too,"  said  Lettie  with  a  lit- 
tle groan  of  despair.  "But  you  will  do  as  I  ask, 
Barney  ? " 

"  I'll  have  to  tell  the  truth  when  they  ax  me.  But 
I'll  not  be  too  hard  on  the  varmint  (beggin'  yer  par- 
don) for  your  sake  an'  Uncle  Si's." 

"Thank  you,  Barney;  and  you  will  speak  to  Norine 
about  it,  too  ? " 

"Faith,  you  better  spake  to  her  yerself,  with  yer 
persuadin'  ways.  It  would  be  hard  for  me  to  put  much 
feelin'  in  the  job,  I'm  thinkin'." 

And  speak  to  Norine  she  did.  No  sooner  had  Bar- 
ney left  her  to  enter  the  Hawkins  home  than  Lettie 
hastened  back  to  the  Maloney  farm.  The  tv.0  girls 
went  off  by  themselves  and  talked  the  matter  all  over, 
and  Norine  was  soon  persuaded  to  refrain  as  far  as  she 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  393 

might  be  allowed  to  do  from  pressing  her  complaint 
against  Sam.  She  was  moved  by  her  friend's  distress 
and  forgot  for  the  moment  her  own  and  Barney's 
wrongs.  So  these  two  loving  and  forgiving  girls 
planned  how  they  might  help  the  wretch  who  had  so 
ruthlessly  injured  them  both.  Lettie,  in  her  innocence, 
believed  it  would  be  enough  to  win  over  those  who  had 
suffered  most  at  Sam's  hands,  and  those  who  were  im- 
mediately instrumental  in  his  arrest,  to  secure  his  re- 
lease. After  Norine's  assurances  her  heart  felt  some- 
what lighter,  but  she  determined  to  see  Tom  Moore 
and  Mr.  Lawrence  before  any  legal  steps  could  be 
taken,  so  she  made  all  haste  to  the  village  of  Red-Keg, 
arriving  there  early  in  the  evening.  She  was  almost 
exhausted,  having  walked  to  and  fro  many  miles  during 
that  sad  day.  To  each  of  the  men  she  poured  out  her 
heart  without  reserve  and  pleaded  for  mercy  for  the 
man  whom,  though  so  unworthy,  she  still  loved.  Tom, 
big-hearted,  honest,  and  susceptible  to  the  pleading  of 
the  unfortunate,  especially  when  in  the  person  of  a 
beautiful  girl,  listened  with  a  show  of  sympathy,  which 
was  really  nothing  but  pity,  and  then  said  that  he  had 
a  painful  duty  before  him,  that  he  would  be  held  strictly 
responsible  for  the  performance  of  it,  but  that,  while 
he  could  not  escape  it,  he  would  do  no  more  than  the 
law  required,  and  that  without  malice  or  desire  for 
vengeance. 

The  generous  and  sympathetic  form  of  Tom  Moore's 
assurances  made  up  to  some  extent  for  their  lack  of 
satisfying  substance,  but  prepared  Lettie  for  still 
further  lack  of  real  success  with  Mr.  Lawrence.  He 
explained  to  her,  as  kindly  as  he  could,  the  necessary 
attitude  of  the  representatives  of  the  law  toward  one 
who  had  committed  so  many  serious  crimes  against 


394  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

the  community.  He  showed  her  that  it  was  a  matter 
which  was  not  limited  to  the  persons  immediately  con- 
cerned,  but  that  the  county,  state,  and  nation  shared  in 
the  injury  inflicted  upon  the  individuals.  He  pointed 
out  the  enormity  of  the  offenses,  and  showed  her  that 
to  let  them  go  unpunished  would  be  to  commit  another 
still  worse  crime  against  the  community.  Poor  Lettie 
was  in  despair. 

"  Mr.  Lawrence,  what  you  say  is  all  very  true — too 
true  He  is  branded  with  a  series  of  terrible  crimes, 
but  I  know  that  he  is  not  all  bad— that  if  he  is  given 
another  chance  he  will  see  the  error  of  his  ways  and  be 
a  better  man  hereafter.  Oh,  Mr.  Lawrence,  have 
mercy,"  and  she  clasped  his  hands  in  hers,  and  with 
eyes  suffused  with  tears  begged  for  leniency  to  the  man 
who  but  a  few  short  days  ago  had  ruthlessly  strangled 
her  and  left  her  for  dead  upon  the  roadside. 

Mr.  Lawrence  had  great  things  at  stake.  He  had 
prided  himself  on  this  job,  and  hoped  to  gain  official 
recognition,  but  the  pleadings  of  this  fair  young  girl 
unnerved  him,  and  bidding  her  go  home  and  rest,  he 
promised  to  do  all  he  could  compatible  with  public 
safety  and  his  professional  honor.  He  did  not  think  it 
necessary  to  pain  her  further  by  pointing  out  how  little 
that  "all"  would  necessarily  be. 

With  a  "  God  bless  you ! "  she  left  him,  feeling  that 
he  would  prove  a  friend  in  the  hour  of  great  trouble, 
and  one  who  would  at  least  see  that  justice  should  be 
tempered  with  mercy  instead  of  a  desire  for  vengeance. 
At  last,  weary  and  footsore,  she  returned  to  her  own 
home.  Robert  Allen  was  waiting  for  her.  He  had 
heard  of  her  efforts  in  Sam's  behalf,  and  with  his  own 
heart  full  of  yearning  for  the  unhappy  youth,  he  had 
hastened  to  give  the  brave  girl  such  sympathy  and  help 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  395 

as  lay  within  his  power.  When  he  left  her,  late  in  the 
evening,  both  were  comforted  by  a  mutual  understand- 
ing,  and  hopeful  that  the  plans  which  they  had  settled 
upon  might  lighten  the  hand  of  justice  on  the  man 
they  both  loved. 


CHAPTER  XXIX 

JUSTICE  FROST  had  never  been  called  upon  to  hear 
so  important  a  case,  and  his  little  court-room  was  en- 
tirely inadequate  for  the  crowd  which  gathered  the 
next  morning  at  the  hearing  of  the  Invincibles.  The 
whole  neighborhood  was  in  a  fever  of  excitement  and 
curiosity,  and  the  big  constable,  Tom  Moore,  found 
some  difficulty  in  getting  his  prisoners  through  the 
throngs  which  surrounded  and  filled  the  court-room. 
Sam  held  his  head  high  with  a  defiant  air,  yet  so  thinly 
veiled  was  this  expression  that  all  knew  it  was  assumed. 
Seward,  Walt,  and  Billy  appeared  more  resigned.  They 
were  not  so  heavily  burdened  with  guilt  as  was  their 
fallen  leader,  and  they  were  indeed  glad  that  the 
suspense  was  over  and  that  Norine  had  been  restored. 
Uncle  Si  sat  there  bowed  with  grief  and  shame.  He 
seemed  to  feel  in  all  its  intensity  the  disgrace  which 
had  fallen  upon  his  son.  Barney  and  Norine  showed 
plainly  that  they  did  not  share  the  relish  for  the  affair 
which  so  large  a  majority  of  the  spectators  enjoyed, 
and  that  they  would  rather  be  anywhere  else  than  there. 
Poor  Lettie  Green  was  nervous  and  haggard,  having 
passed  a  sleepless  night  after  the  wearisome  day  which 
had  preceded  it.  The  minister  sat  close  by  her  side 
and  spoke  to  her  frequently  in  a  low  tone. 

Promptly  at  ten  o'clock  Judge  Frost  took  his  seat, 
wiped  his  spectacles,  placed  them  with  deliberate  care 
upon  his  nose,  and  without  uttering  a  word  gazed  over 

396 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  397 

the  rims  at  the  four  prisoners,  collectively  and  individu- 
ally, for  some  moments. 

Judge  Frost  had  been  chosen  by  his  neighbors  in 
that  farming  and  lumber  region  to  be  justice  of  the 
peace,  but  legal  practises  were  little  known  and  less 
observed.  There  was  no  practising  attorney  in  the  vil- 
lage, and  Judge  Frost,  who  had  been  proven  to  be  an 
honest  and  merciful  man,  and  a  lover  of  justice,  admin- 
istered cases  which  came  within  his  jurisdiction  with  an 
unrestricted  hand  and  in  his  own  way.  Usually  when 
an  evil-doer  trespassed  State  laws,  however,  Judge 
Frost  simply  examined  the  accused  and  their  accusers, 
and  if  the  evidence  was  sufficient  he  held  the  prisoners 
for  trial  in  the  Circuit  Court,  which  convened  at  Mid- 
land, the  county  seat.  This  was  the  procedure  which 
he  intended  to  follow  in  the  present  case.  After  his 
scrutiny  of  the  four  young  men,  he  said  slowly  and 
solemnly : 

"  Prisoners  at  the  bar,  stand  up ! " 

They  all  arose  and  listened  to  the  reading  of  the 
charges,  and  each  in  turn,  to  the  surprise  of  many  of 
their  neighbors,  pleaded  "  not  guilty." 

It  was  generally  believed  by  those  who  knew  how 
clear  was  the  case  against  them  that  they  would  plead 
guilty  and  throw  themselves  upon  the  mercy  of  the  court. 
=  "  Bedad,  they're  as  guilty  as  the  divil ! "  exclaimed  a 
voice  in  the  back  of  the  room. 

"Constable,  take  that  man  out!"  thundered  the 
judge,  glaring  in  the  direction  of  the  offender. 

"  Who  was  it,  yer  honor  ? "  asked  Tom,  though  he 
thought  he  recognized  Pete  Murray's  voice. 

"Find  out !"  exclaimed  the  judge,  turning  again  to 
the  prisoners.  As  the  disturber  did  not  declare  him- 
self, and  as  Tom  Moore  could  scarcely  move  through 


398  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

the  densely  packed  crowd,  he  took  the  liberty  of  disre- 
garding the  judge's  commands. 

"Prisoners,  be  seated.  We  will  now  consider  the 
evidence  upon  which  you  are  being  held  for  the  several 
counts  against  you,  beginning  with  the  case  of  Sam 
Hawkins,  who  is  charged  with  illicit  distilling,  abduc- 
tion, and  attempted  murder.  What  we  want  to  know 
about  now  is  this  abduction.  Barney  O'Boyle,  take 
the  stand." 

Barney  elbowed  his  way  to  the  witness  stand 
through  a  crowd,  all  of  whom  were  his  friends,  and 
many  a  pat  on  the  back,  or  hearty  word,  was  given  him 
on  the  way. 

"  Barney  O'Boyle,  what  can  you  tell  us  in  this  case 
of  the  People  of  this  State  against  this  prisoner  charged 
with  the  abduction  of  Norine  Maloney  ? " 

"  Sure,  yer  honor,  I  was  goin'  to — I  mean,  he — that 
is,  I —  Begorra !  I  can't  tell  a  blissed  thing." 

"  What !  Can't  tell  anything  about  the  abduction  of 
your  sweetheart — I  mean  of  Miss  Maloney ! "  exclaimed 
the  judge  in  astonishment. 

"  Well,  ye  see,  yer  honor,  there's  poor  old  Uncle  Si, 
the  best  friend  I  hev  in  the  world,  sittin'  there,  lookin' 
so  old  an'  heart-broken ;  an'  there's  Miss  Lettie  gazin' 
at  me  with  them  big  eyes  o'  hern  all  red  with  cryin' — • 
sure  I  can't  say  a  word  agin  that  varmint,  knowin'  that 
'twould  be  like  stabbin'  the  hearts  o'  them  two." 

"  But  we  must  have  the  truth.  Justice  demands  it. 
Come,  speak  out  and  tell  what  happened  as  you  know 
it,"  insisted  the  judge. 

Barney  was  embarrassed  and  uncomfortable  in  the 
extreme.  He  shifted  from  one  foot  to  the  other,  gazed 
at  the  ceiling,  and  back  to  the  faces  before  him.  Sud- 
denly  his  face  cleared  and  he  turned  to  the  judge. 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  399 

"  Ye  want  me  to  tell  ye  all  I  saw,  yer  honor  ? " 

"  Yes,  tell  the  truth  and  nothing  but  the  truth,  no 
matter  whom  it  hurts." 

I'  Well,  yer  honor,  I  saw  Norine  with  me  that  night, 
an'  then  I  saw  she  warn't  with  me.  I  swear  I  didn't 
see  Sam  carry  her  off,  an'  I  didn't  see  him  with  her 
when  I  found  her  agin." 

An  audible  grin  rippled  over  the  court-room,  but 
Barney's  face  was  as  serious  as  an  owl's.  The  judge 
looked  at  him  sharply,  and  said : 

"  Don't  trifle  with  the  court,  sir." 

"  No,  yer  honor,"  said  Barney. 

"  Is  that  all  you  can  say  ? " 

"Yes,  yer  honor;  I'm  losin'  me  mimory." 

"  Stand  down,  sir." 

"  Sure,  thet's  what  I'm  doin'  now,  yer  honor,  only 
it's  up  I'm  standin'." 

"Take  your  seat,  sir ! "  roared  the  judge. 

"  Yes,  yer  honor." 

Barney  had  managed  to  keep  his  eyes  away  from 
Sam  during  his  testimony,  and  had  not  noticed  the  sur- 
prise, shame,  and  relief  which  swept  over  his  face  when 
the  man  he  had  wronged  declined  to  accuse  him. 
These  fleeting  emotions  quickly  lost  themselves  in  the 
sullenness  in  which  he  had  taken  refuge  since  entering 
the  court-room.  But  Barney  did  not  fail  to  see  the 
tears  of  gratitude  which  filled  the  eyes  of  Lettie  and 
old  Uncle  Si,  and  he  felt  rewarded. 

Tom  Moore  being  next  called  to  the  stand  said  he 
could  tell  nothing  except  as  to  the  capture  of  the  prison- 
ers and  the  finding  of  Norine.  He  could  not  swear 
from  his  own  knowledge  that  Sam  Hawkins  had  done 
the  deed  imputed  to  him. 

"  Who  is  there  to  accuse  this  young  man  ?    If  you're 


400  THE  REDKEGGERS 

all  going  to  flunk  when  you  come  to  swear  I  may  as 
well  let  the  prisoners  go  at  once.  But  perhaps  Miss 
Maloney  will  come  to  the  stand  and  enlighten  the 
court  a  little,"  _nd  his  piercing  eyes  sought  this  young 
lady, 

She  came  slowly  foi  «vard,  amid  the  most  breathless 
silence.  Sam  had  forgotten  his  defiance,  and  was 
aroused  out  of  his  sullenness.  He  trembled  before  the 
girl  who  a  short  time  ago  had  been  in  his  power. 

"Miss  Norine,"  said  Judge  Frost,  kindly,  "please 
tell  the  court  from  the  beginning  all  that  happened  to 
you  Saturday  night,  May  6th." 

Norine  was  surprised  at  such  a  comprehensive  com- 
mand, when  she  was  expecting  only  a  simple  question, 
and  she  hesitated.  Then,  seeing  Lettie's  eyes  fixed 
appealingly  upon  her,  she  said : 

"  Must  I  tell  it,  judge  ?    Please,  I'd  rather  not." 

"You  certainly  must,"  said  the  judge.  "We  have 
got  to  get  at  the  bottom  of  this  affair  some  way,  and 
you  can  tell  more  than  any  one  else.  We  cannot  ex- 
cuse you." 

Seeing  that  there  was  no  escape  Norine  narrated  the 
events  briefly  but  truthfully.  Not  a  sound  but  her 
voice  was  heard  in  the  court-room.  Sam  sat  through 
the  recital  like  a  statue  of  stone.  Norine  mentioned 
no  names,  until,  at  the  end  of  her  story,  the  judge  in- 
sisted that  she  name  the  persons  who  had  carried  her 
off. 

"One  was  Billy  Axford — and  the  other — was  Sam 
Hawkins,"  she  answered  so  low  that  only  those  very 
near  her  could  hear  the  names. 

"  Very  well ,  that  will  do." 

John  Lawrence  was  called  to  the  stand,  and  as  he 
took  his  place  many  recognized  him  for  the  first  time 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  401 

as  the  tramp  who  had  been  arrested  for  the  abduction 
of  Norine  and  released  on  bail  furnished  by  the  In- 
vincibles.  The  significance  of  that  "generous  "  act  at 
once  became  apparent. 

"  What  have  you  to  offer  as  a  reason  for  holding  this 
man  over  to  the  Circuit  Court  besides  what  has  been 
said  ? "  asked  the  judge. 

"  Your  honor,  it  is  not  my  desire  to  persecute  this 
young  man,  and  it  pains  me  deeply  to  bring  more  sorrow 
to  those  who  have  already  suffered  so  much  through  him, 
but  I  am  a  representative  of  the  government,  and  have 
sworn  to  serve  it  faithfully,  and  it  is  my  duty  to  charge 
Sam  Hawkins  with  robbery  of  the  United  States  mails." 

The  witness  was  interrupted  with  a  buzz  of  aston- 
ishment which  swept  over  the  crowd  at  this  unexpected 
announcement.  Judge  Frost  pounded  on  his  desk  and 
called  for  instant  silence.  Mr.  Lawrence  continued 
rapidly : 

"  I  have  in  my  possession  evidence  that  through  this 
robbing  of  the  mails  he  discovered  that  a  legacy  was 
coming  to  Miss  Maloney.  He  hoped  to  marry  her  and 
thus  get  possession  of  her  fortune.  Failing  to  secure 
her  hand  in  a  legitimate  way  he  sought  to  obtain  it  by 
force,  and  hence  the  abduction." 

If  a  bomb  had  burst  in  the  court-room  those  present 
could  hardly  have  been  more  astonished,  and  no  heed 
was  paid  to  the  calls  of  the  judge  for  silence.  To 
add  to  the  excitement,  Lettie  Green,  who  had  been 
listening  with  white,  drawn  face  and  staring  eyes  to  the 
testimony,  suddenly  uttered  a  moan  and  fell  fainting  to 
the  floor.  All  was  at  once  confusion,  some  crying  one 
thing  and  some  another.  Even  the  judge  forgot  for  a 
moment  his  dignity  and  sprang  to  his  feet,  ordering  the 
crowd  to  make  way  so  that  Lettie  could  be  taken  out 
26 


402  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

into  the  air.  But  it  was  impossible  to  force  a  passage 
through  the  press  of  spectators  within  and  those  who 
were  pushing  from  without,  eager  to  hear  something  of 
the  proceedings.  A  glass  of  water  stood  on  the  judge's 
desk,  and  Barney  seized  it  and  passed  it  to  Norine,  who 
bathed  the  poor  girl's  face  until  she  regained  conscious- 
ness. Then  Lettie  refused  to  listen  to  any  suggestion 
of  retiring  from  the  room.  She  would  be  all  right 
soon,  and  must  stay,  at  any  cost. 

Sam,  meanwhile,  was  shrinking  in  his  seat,  pale  and 
trembling,  his  face  twitching  nervously.  This  new 
charge  was  unexpected  by  him,  also.  When  order  was 
restored  Judge  Frost  commanded  Lawrence  to  continue. 

"  There  is  a  man  in  the  room  who  will  corroborate 
me,  I  think.  But  before  he  is  called  I  wish  to  depose 
further  that  not  only  Sam  Hawkins,  but  Seward  Ratha- 
way,  Walter  Haywood,  and  William  Axford  are  charged 
with  operating  an  illicit  distillery  in  this  county  on 
what  they  have  styled  'Mystic  Isle.'  I  ask  your  honor 
to  hold  them  for  the  United  States  District  Court  on 
that  charge.  Now,  if  your  honor  please,  we  will  listen 
to  Orrin  Maloney." 

The  judge  immediately  summoned  Orrin  to  the  wit- 
ness stand.  He  identified  a  letter  as  having  been  writ- 
ten by  himself  to  Barney  O'Boyle,  and  which  Lawrence 
then  testified  that  he  had  seen  Sam  drop  in  the  woods. 
The  four  prisoners  here,  as  with  one  accord,  sought 
the  face  of  Lawrence,  and  at  once  recognized  their 
former  guest,  who  they  supposed  had  been  disposed 
of  by  their  cunning  ruse. 

There  being  no  other  witnesses,  the  judge  asked  if 
any  one  had  anything  to  urge  why  the  prisoners  should 
not  be  held  for  trial.  There  was  an  oppressive  silence 
for  a  moment,  then  Lettie,  gathering  strength  by  a 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  403 

sudden  effort,  rose  tremblingly  to  her  feet,  and  faced 
the  judge.  Even  then  she  was  unable  to  speak  at 
once,  and  turned  an  appealing  look  upon  the  minister, 
who,  without  a  word,  arose  and  stood  by  her  side. 

"  May  it  please  your  honor,"  she  began  in  a  low  tone, 
which  gradually  grew  stronger  as  she  continued,  "I 
stand  before  this  court  knowing  only  too  well  how- 
how — dreadful  are  the — the  crimes  charged  against  the 
— Mr.  Hawkins.  One  of  those— charges  is  for  some- 
thing in  which  I  was  the  only  sufferer.  The  charge  is 
made  on  hearsay  only.  For  myself,  I  do  not  join  in 
this  charge.  What  he  did,  I  provoked  him  to  while  he 
was  not  himself,  and  I  was  to  blame.  The  others— 
Norine  and  Barney — do  not  press  any  charge.  The 
prisoner's  dear  old  father  is  here  to  join  with  me  in  a 
plea  for  mercy.  Sam  is  all  that  is  left  to  him  now. 
Do  not  break  poor  old  Uncle  Si's  heart.  Oh,  judge, 
be  merciful !  be  merciful ! " 

"  Amen ! "  said  Allen,  earnestly. 

The  tears  were  streaming  down  her  face  as  Lettie 
sank  into  her  seat.  There  was  breathless  silence  now 
in  the  court.  Even  the  stern  judge  was  driven  to  con- 
ceal his  emotion  by  blowing  his  nose  vigorously.  Sam 
opened  his  mouth  as  though  to  speak,  but  no  word 
passed  his  lips.  A  deathly  pallor  overspread  his  face, 
and  he  seemed  about  to  fall.  Every  one  waited  with 
tense  feelings  for  the  judge's  reply.  He  spoke  very 
kindly  but  firmly  as  he  said : 

"  My  dear  young  lady,  I  feel  the  deepest  sympathy 
with  you  and  good  Farmer  Hawkins,  although  there  is 
nothing  I  can  see  in  the  behavior  of  this  prisoner  which 
would  call  for  clemency,  or  entitle  him  to  such  forbear- 
ance as  you  and  these  others  whom  he  has  wronged 
are  disposed  to  show  him,  but  whatever  I  might  be  will- 


404  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

ing  to  do  for  your  sake,  and  for  the  sake  of  my  friend 
the  prisoner's  father,  I  don't  see  how  I  can  interfere  in 
this  case.  The  prisoners  have  all  pleaded  not  guilty, 
and  the  law  says  they  must  be  tried.  The  evidence  is 
too  strong  for  me  to  dismiss  it.  If  they  had  pleaded 
guilty  and  thrown  themselves  upon  the  mercy  of  this 
court,  there's  no  telling  what  I  might  have  done,  ex- 
cept in  the  matters  which  concern  the  United  States 
mails  and  the  internal  revenue.  Even  there,  a  recom- 
mendation of  mercy  from  this  court  on  account  of  the 
prisoners'  youth  and  the  fact  of  this  being  their  first 
offense  might  accomplish  something ;  but  they  have 
pleaded  not  guilty  to  all  the  charges,  and  I  am  afraid  I 
can  do  nothing,  in  view  of  the  evidence,  but  hold  them 
for  trial." 

"  Your  honor,  may  I  speak  with  the  prisoner — Mr. 
Hawkins,  I  mean  ? "  asked  Lettie. 

"  Yes,  for  a  moment." 

Lettie  made  her  way  to  the  bench  where  Sam  was 
sitting  and  began  to  whisper  earnestly  in  his  ear,  heed- 
less of  the  many  curious  eyes  which  watched  her. 
Sam  listened  with  a  dogged  air  at  first,  but  in  a  little 
time  his  spirit  seemed  to  melt  within  him.  His  lips 
moved  and  an  indistinct  sound  came  forth ;  then  rais- 
ing his  fettered  hands  to  his  head,  he  broke  down  com- 
pletely and  sobbed  like  a  child.  Lettie  waited.  Pres- 
ently she  placed  a  soft  little  hand  on  his  arm.  He 
started,  and  suddenly  sprang  to  his  feet,  exclaiming 
excitedly : 

"I  am  guilty,  judge,  guilty!  Oh,  yes,  far  more 
guilty  than  you  think — than  any  one  thinks — even  this 
noble  little  girl  here,  who  knows  I  am  vile  enough. 
Everything  charged  against  me  is  true.  A  good  deal 
more  might  be  charged  if  some  persons  cared  to  speak 


"I   AM    GUILTY,  JUDGE,   GUILTY  I1 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  405 

—Barney  O'Boyle  there,  for  instance.  It's  all  true. 
I  am  a  scoundrel,  a  coward,  almost  a—  Oh,  I  can't 
say  it.  This  angel  here  says  you  would  show  me  mercy 
if  you  could.  I  don't  see  how  you  can,  I  don't  see  how 
Barney  could,  or  Norine  Maloney,  most  of  all  how  this 
girl  here  at  my  side  could.  But  if  you  can,  judge,  in 
spite  of  all  my  wickedness,  be  merciful— if  you  can,  be- 
cause  of  my  full  confession,  coming  so  late,  save  me 
from  a  part  of  the  punishment  I  deserve,  I  beg  you  to 
do  so,  not  for  my  sake — I  am  not  worth  a  single  kind 
thought— but  for  the  sake  of  my  poor  old  father,  whose 
heart  I  have  almost  broken,  as  I  broke  my  saintly 
mother's— for  his  sake,  and  for  the  sake  of  this  angelic, 
long-suffering,  and  forgiving  girl — my  -wife  !  " 

He  stopped  for  want  of  breath  and  stood  trembling, 
his  eyes  fixed  on  the  judge,  seeing  nothing  else.  The 
spectators,  the  witnesses,  the  other  prisoners,  the  judge 
himself,  were  dumb,  paralyzed,  with  amazement.  Only 
Lettie  seemed  to  grasp  the  situation. 

"  Your  wife ! "  she  cried.     "  I  thought " 

"  Oh,  yes !  I  told  you  I  was  guilty  even  more  than 
you  could  think,"  Sam  said  to  her;  then  turning  again 
to  the  judge,  he  went  on:  "Nearly  three  years  ago, 
when  I  came  home  from  college,  I  met  Lettie,  and  we 
loved  each  other — at  least  I  thought  so  at  the  time.  I 
took  her  to  a  minister  and  we  were  married  secretly. 
I  made  her  swear  solemnly  not  to  reveal  the  secret 
under  any  circumstances  until  I  should  give  permis- 
sion. In  a  short  time  I  regretted  what  I  had  done,  and 
to  free  myself,  I  told  her  that  it  was  only  a  joke— that 
it  was  no  minister  at  all  who  had  married  us,  but  that 
some  day  we  would  be  married  in  earnest.  I  held  her 
to  her  oath  of  secrecy,  however,  and  she  has  been  true 
to  it  ever  since,  although  I  have  given  her  more  provo- 


406  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

cation  than  most  women  would  ever  endure.  I  lied  to 
her.  The  marriage  was  a  genuine  one,  and  if  I  ever 
get  free  from  the  penalties  of  my  crimes  I  shall  spend 
my  life  in  an  effort  to  make  up  to  her  all  that  she  has 
suffered  on  my  account,  for  I  love  her  now  if  I  never 
did  before.  I  am  in  your  hands,  judge,  to  do  with  as 
you  see  fit." 

Sam  sat  down  beside  Lettie,  who  was  weeping  hys- 
terically. 

Judge  Frost  was  rubbing  his  eye-glasses  as  vigor- 
ously as  Lady  Macbeth  ever  rubbed  her  guilt-stained 
hand.  The  scene  in  the  court-room  was  indescribable. 
Meanwhile,  Seward,  Walt,  and  Billy  whispered  together, 
and  then  stood  up. 

"  Your  honor,"  said  Seward,  "  we  beg  to  withdraw 
our  plea  of  'not  guilty'  and  substitute  a  plea  of 
'guilty'!" 

"  That  is  my  wish,"  said  Walt. 

"  And  mine,"  said  Billy. 

The  three  boys  sat  down. 

At  last  the  "  damned  spot "  in  the  eye-glasses  seemed 
to  be  "out,"  for  Judge  Frost  adjusted  them  again  to 
his  nose  and  rapped  loudly  on  his  desk. 

"  Silence  in  the  court ! " 

The  silence  was  instantaneous  and  oppressive. 

"  The  charge  against  Sam  Hawkins  for  assault,  with 
intent  to  kill,  upon  his  wife,  otherwise  known  as  Lettie 
Green,  is  dismissed. 

"The  charge  against  Sam  Hawkins,  which  charge 
should  extend,  but  does  not,  to  William  Axford,  for 
the  abduction  of  one  Norine  Maloney,  is  dismissed. 

"  The  charge  against  Sam  Hawkins  for  robbing  the 
United  States  mail,  and  the  charge  against  the  four 
prisoners  for  operating  an  illicit  distillery  shall  be  tried 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  407 

in  the  United  States  District  Court.  I  reserve  the 
right  to  send  with  the  papers  such  communications  of 
my  own  as  I  may  see  fit. 

"  For  the  time  until  that  court  meets,  the  prisoners 
are  released  without  bail,  in  the  custody  of  Thomas 
Moore,  who  shall  be  responsible  for  their  appearance 
when  the  court  convenes. 

"  This  court  is  now  adjourned." 


CHAPTER   XXX 

Two  men  walked  slowly  along  a  narrow  logging  road 
which  wound  here  and  there  through  the  forest.  The 
younger  of  the  two  saw  only  the  wreck  of  all  things 
present,  with  nothing  but  humiliation,  disgrace,  and 
ruin  as  his  lot.  The  other  man,  looking  beyond  the 
unsightly  path  of  the  whirlwind,  saw  the  star  of  hope 
shining  brightly,  and  caught  the  glimmer  of  a  happier 
day  about  to  dawn  for  the  young  man  at  his  side.  He 
was  speaking  quietly. 

"  After  all,  notwithstanding  the  distress  we  all  felt, 
there  was  a  great  deal  of  joy  in  the  occasion.  It  may 
look  dark  to  you  now ;  but  the  day  will  come,  I  believe, 
when  you  will  mark  the  i8th  of  May,  1871,  as  one 
of  the  happiest  days  in  your  life." 

The  elder  man  paused ;  but  no  reply,  no  contradic- 
tion, no  question  came  from  his  companion.  Presently 
he  continued : 

"  It  was  joyful  for  several  reasons.  You  have  been 
frightfully  handicapped  for  a  long  time.  I  know  very 
well  that  more  than  once  you  have  really  wished  to 
escape  from  the  path  you  were  treading.  Secret 
things  held  you  back.  Enterprises  to  which  you  felt 
yourself  hopelessly  committed  could  not  be  given  up. 
You  were  not  strong  enough.  While  immunity  lasted 
it  was  so  much  easier  to  increase  your  burden  than  to 
lessen  it.  I  tell  you,  my  boy,  sin  is  the  worst  handicap 
any  man  can  have.  It  is  like  the  mythical  'old  man  of 
the  sea.'  The  time  comes  when  the  burdened  one  cries 

408 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  409 

out  in  terror  and  despair,  'O  wretched  man  that  I  am ! 
who  shall  deliver  me  from  the  body  of  this  death  ? ' 
Well,  now,  don't  you  see  how  the  very  completeness 
of  the  exposure  has  cleared  the  way  for  your  escape  ? 
The  secret  enterprises  being  ruined  can  have  no  further 
hold  on  you.  It  isn't  necessary  to  plan,  or  worry  any 
longer  over  them,  nor  to  commit  new  sins  in  order  that 
old  ones  may  remain  hidden  and  prosper.  So  far  as 
they  are  concerned,  you  are  free  to  start  anew.  Aren't 
you  glad  to  be  rid  of  them  ? 

"More  than  that,  you  confessed,  publicly— made  a 
clean  breast  of  it — to  those  you  had  injured,  and  righted 
a  great  wrong  to  your  angelic  little  wife.  That  was 
cause  for  joy,  surely.  It  put  you  right  in  line  for  for- 
giveness, and  I  don't  know  of  anybody  but  will  forgive 
you,  or  has  forgiven  you.  The  best  of  it  all  is  that  this 
confession  to  men  will  make  it  easier  for  you  to  take 
the  next  and  more  important  step — confession  to  God. 
That  will  bring  you  not  only  forgiveness,  but  a  thorough 
cleansing  away  of  the  stain  sin  has  made  upon  your 
soul.  The  promise  is  that  'if  we  confess  our  sins,  He 
is  faithful  and  just  to  forgive  us  our  sins  and  to  cleanse 
us  from  all  unrighteousness.'  More  than  that,  He  will 
obliterate  the  sin  altogether  from  His  memory;  for  He 
has  declared  'I  will  forgive  their  iniquity,  and  I  will 
remember  their  sin  no  more.'  There  is  the  greatest  of 
all  joys  for  you,  my  dear  boy.  Come,  won't  you  join 
with  me  right  here  and  ask  for  it  ? " 

The  young  man's  temples  throbbed ;  his  throat  was 
parched  and  aching ;  he  longed  to  feel  the  relief  and 
joy  the  minister  had  spoken  of  with  such  quiet  confi- 
dence, but  it  seemed  beyond  his  reach.  The  simple 
power  to  yield  had  not  come  to  him.  For  a  few  mo- 
ments he  moved  nervously  Then  he  realized  that  the 


410  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

minister  was  waiting  for  him  to  answer.  His  painful 
embarrassment  increased.  At  last,  in  an  agony  of 
spirit,  he  cried  out : 

"  I  can't — I  can't !  It's  too  much ;  I'm  an  outcast ; 
I  am  ashamed ! " 

"  Nothing  is  too  much  for  Him,  Sam,"  answered  the 
minister,  putting  his  arm  about  the  young  man's  shoul- 
ders in  affectionate  entreaty.  "  If  your  earthly  friends 
know  how  to  forgive,  shall  not  your  Heavenly  Father, 
who  loves  you  far  better  than  they  do,  forgive  you  even 
more  gladly  ?  It  is  the  outcast  whom  He  calls  first 
and  receives  most  lovingly.  It  is  the  coming  to  Him 
of  such  a  one  which  causes  'joy  in  the  presence  of 
the  angels  of  God.'  We  must  all  be  ashamed  when  we 
look  at  ourselves,  but  He  bids  us  look  at  Him,  and  tells 
us '  though  your  sins  be  as  scarlet  they  shall  be  as  white 
as  snow ;  though  they  be  red  like  crimson  they  shall  be 
as  wool.'  Oh,  Sam,  He  loves  you  so !  He  knows  that 
you've  fallen,  and  hurt  yourself  so  badly  that  you  need 
help.  His  hand  has  been  stretched  out  to  you  for 
some  time  through  the  hands  of  friends  here  who 
love  you.  Just  take  hold  and  you  will  be  lifted  up. 
Others  have  been  as  deep  in  the  abyss  as  you.  The 
Saviour's  love  reaches  to  the  uttermost.  Just  try  it 
and  see." 

A  dry  sob  was  the  only  reply  Allen  received  as  he 
paused  a  moment.  A  gentle  urging  of  his  arm,  how- 
ever, found  no  yielding  yet.  From  one  anxious  heart 
an  eager  appeal  ascended  that  moment  to  the  throne 
of  power. 

"  Listen,  Sam,  I  want  to  tell  you  the  story  of  one 
young  man  who  lived  some  years  ago  in  a  city  in  this 
State.  I  know  all  the  details  from  personal  knowledge 
and  from  friends  of  the  young  man.  I  wili  call  him 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  411 

simply  B.  for  the  present.  His  father  sent  him  to  col- 
lege and  gave  him  every  comfort.  He  studied  law 
part  of  the  time,  but  gave  more  of  his  time  to  pleasure 
and  dissipation  with  careless  fellows.  After  he  gradu- 
ated he  started  in  business,  with  his  father's  help. 
Then  he  won  and  married  a  beautiful  girl,  one  of  the 
tenderest  and  most  faithful  ever  given  by  God  to  any 
man.  He  loved  her,  but  he  loved  himself  more.  Fond- 
ness for  indulgence  and  bad  companions  caused  him  to 
neglect  his  chosen  profession.  The  neglect  brought 
speedy  failure.  A  chance  came  to  him  to  go  into  the 
hotel  business.  Again  his  father  helpecf  him  with 
money,  though  disapproving  the  enterprise.  B.  saw 
that  more  money  could  be  made  from  a  bar  than  from 
the  legitimate  end  of  the  business,  and  by  degrees  the 
bar  became  the  chief  feature  of  the  hotel.  Then  B. 
decided  not  to  bother  with  any  hotel,  but  to  run  a 
saloon  openly.  He  had  been  sinking  rapidly  in  the  so- 
cial and  moral  scale.  His  own  dissipations  increased. 
He  was  cruel  to  his  gentle  wife.  His  father's  gray 
hairs  went  down  in  sorrow  to  the  grave,  whither  the 
delicate  mother  had  preceded  him.  B.  went  from  bad 
to  worse,  but  his  faithful  wife  stuck  to  him,  ever  try- 
ing tenderly  to  lead  him  away  from  his  evil  life.  Her 
own  heart  was  breaking  with  shame  and  disappoint- 
ment, but  she  never  reproached  him.  One  night,  as 
he  reeled  into  the  room,  drunk  and  ugly,  he  found  her 
weeping,  and  struck  her  a  cowardly  blow  in  the  face. 
She  turned  her  sad  eyes  full  upon  him  with  a  look  that 
made  him  grow  weak  and  sick.  He  felt  as  if  he  had 
smitten  an  angel.  Without  a  word  she  set  his  supper 
before  him  and  retired  to  her  bed.  He  fell  into  a 
drunken  sleep  in  his  chair  and  stayed  there  until  morn- 
ing. Only  once,  through  the  fumes  of  liquor,  there 


4i2  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

came  to  his  stupid  brain  the  sound  of  his  wife's  voice 
calling  his  name  with  an  agony  of  appeal.  He  growled 
and  went  to  sleep  again.  When  daylight  and  appetite 
roused  him,  he  went,  with  an  ugly  word  on  his  lips,  to 
waken  his  wife  and  complain  because  his  breakfast  was 
not  ready.  He  found  a  babe  and  its  mother,  both  ly- 
ing dead." 

The  minister's  voice  had  grown  strange  and  husky. 
He  turned  a  pale  face,  and  eyes  glowing  with  a  fierce 
light,  upon  Sam,  and  seized  the  young  man's  arm. 

"  Sam,  have  you  ever  done  anything  as  wicked,  as 
loathsome,  as  that  ? "  he  cried.  "  Could  the  great  "God 
who  is  angry  with  the  sinner  every  day  ever  forgive  so 
foul  and  cruel  a  crime  ?  Was  it  for  such  an  outcast 
that  God  allowed  His  only  Son,  His  dearly  beloved 
Son,  to  die  in  agony  on  the  cross  ?  Ah,  Sam,  it  was 
for  just  such  a  vile  outcast  as  that;  and  He  stretched 
down  His  ever  loving,  tender,  bleeding  hands  to  lift  up 
that  outcast  from  the  deep  pit  into  which  he  had  fallen ; 
and  then,  just  as  at  other  times,  He  used  the  hands  of 
one  of  His  servants  on  earth  to  do  His  work. 

B.  was  then  keeper  of  a  low  saloon  of  the  most  in- 
famous character.  After  his  wife's  death,  he  had  moved 
into  a  hovel,  and  lived  in  loneliness  and  filth.  One 
night  in  winter  he  was  staggering  blindly  along  in  the 
middle  of  the  street  through  the  snow  and  sleet,  ready 
to  end  his  wretched  life  in  the  gutter  if  he  should 
chance  to  fall  and  lie  unnoticed  until  morning.  A  man 
saw  him  and,  taking  pity  on  his  miserable  condition, 
helped  him  home,  built  a  fire  in  the  cheerless  hovel, 
made  hot  coffee  and  forced  him  to  drink  it,  and  stayed 
with  him  until  he  was  sober.  Then  he  spoke  words  of 
cheer  and  encouragement  to  the  outcast,  urged  him  to 
reform  and  be  a  man,  and  offered  to  be  his  friend,  not 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  413 

only  in  secret,  but  openly,  before  the  world  which  de- 
spised him. 

"  B.  was  astonished,  almost  overcome,  by  such  kind- 
ness. His  better  nature  was  touched;  but  he  cried 
out  despairingly:  'It's  too  late!  I  am  an  outcast! 
What  is  the  use,  now  ? ' 

"'It's  not  too  late,'  replied  his  friend.  *  While  you 
live,  you  are  not  an  outcast  from  God's  mercy.  You 
are  a  child  of  the  King.  You  have  an  immortal  soul, 
and  it's  worth  saving.' 

"  B.  began  to  cry  like  a  baby.  Then  he  almost  drove 
the  good  man  away,  declaring  that  he  could  not  reform ; 
his  only  means  of  livelihood  was  tied  up  in  his  saloon ; 
that  was  all  his  property ;  he  was  committed  to  it,  and 
must  stick  to  it  till  the  end. 

"  But  God's  hand  of  mercy  was  still  reaching  down 
for  the  outcast.  The  good  Samaritan  would  not  de- 
sert him.  Again  and  again  he  saw  B.  and  urged  him 
with  inspired  persuasiveness  to  turn  his  steps  into  the 
upward  path  of  manliness  and  honor.  The  temptation 
came  to  B.  to  sell  his  saloon,  and  follow  after  his  friend ; 
but  he  could  not  make  himself  believe  that  he  would 
find  much  satisfaction  in  a  new  life  haunted  by  the 
knowledge  that  he  had  freed  himself  from  the  *body  of 
this  death'  only  by  fastening  it  upon  some  other 
wretched  man.  If  it  meant  damnation  for  him,  would 
it  not  mean  the  same  for  another,  and  could  he  buy 
salvation  with  the  price  of  his  neighbor's  soul  ? 

"  One  night  the  sleeping  town  was  roused  by  wild 
cries  in  the  street. 

"'Fire!    Fire!    Fire!' 

"The  alarm-bell  in  the  church  steeple  rang  out. 
Crowds  of  hurriedly  dressed  people  thronged  to  the 
fire.  A  block  of  old  wooden  buildings  was  burning 


4I4  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

fiercely,  and  before  anything  could  be  done  to  arrest 
the  flames  the  entire  block  was  doomed.  B.'s  saloon 
was  in  the  fated  row,  directly  in  the  path  of  the  confla- 
gration. The  red  tongues  of  fire  came  nearer  and 
nearer,  eagerly  devouring  the  dry  timber. 

"'Where's  B.  ?  Let's  save  his  liquors ! '  cried  voices 
in  the  crowd.  *  Here,  boys,  lend  a  hand,  and  we'll  yank 
some  of  them  kegs  of  old  rye  out  in  the  street  before 
they're  all  burned  up ! ' 

"  Half  a  dozen  men  sprang  to  the  door  of  B.'s  saloon, 
broke  it  in,  and  in  a  few  moments  several  kegs  of 
liquors  of  various  kinds  were  on  the  street,  while  ready 
hands  were  about  to  tap  them  for  the  benefit  of  the 
crowd. 

"  Just  then  a  cry  of  furious  rage  sounded  above  the 
roar  of  the  flames  and  the  babel  of  the  crowd.  The 
next  moment  B.  stood  in  the  midst  of  his  kegs  and 
barrels,  swinging  an  axe  above  his  head. 

" '  I  want  every  one  here  to  understand  that  this  is 
my  property,  and  I'll  brain  the  first  man  who  dares  to 
touch  it ! '  he  cried,  and  there  was  a  flash  of  determina- 
tion in  his  eyes  which  awed  the  crowd  and  made  them 
hurry  to  stand  back.  They  thought  the  threatened 
loss  of  his  saloon  had  bereft  him  of  reason,  and  that  he 
was  about  to  wreak  his  insane  wrath  on  the  spectators. 
None  were  prepared  for  what  he  did  do.  Raising  his 
axe  aloft,  he  brought  it  down  with  all  his  strength  again 
and  again  upon  the  kegs  and  barrels,  destroying  them 
utterly  and  letting  their  contents  flow  out  into  the  mud 
and  snow  of  the  street.  When  this  task  was  finished 
he  looked  around  at  the  raging  fire,  gazed  a  moment  at 
his  saloon,  now  enveloped  in  flame,  then  fell  upon  his 
knees  in  the  street,  and  poured  out  his  heart  in  thanks- 
giving to  God  for  having  done  for  him  by  fire  what  he 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  415 

could  not  do  for  himself— remove  the  obstacle  which 
had  hindered  him  from  starting  in  the  right  way. 

"  Through  all  the  hard  struggle  which  followed,  B.'s 
God-sent  friend  stood  by  him,  lifting  him  up,  holding 
him  up,  encouraging  him  by  word  and  by  deed.  Not  a 
single  reproach  for  the  past  came  from  his  lips.  Al- 
ways it  was  hope  and  purpose  for  the  future.  Yet  he 
and  the  one  dearest  to  him  ha:l  suffered  from  B.'s 
wicked  life." 

The  minister  paused,  so  much  overcome  by  his  own 
recital  that  for  the  moment  he  did  not  notice  how 
it  had  affected  his  companion. 

"Sam,"  he  said  at  length,  "you  know  some  of  the 
persons  in  the  little  story  I  have  just  told  you.  The 
angel  wife  who  died  with  her  babe  in  the  night  was 
your  dear  mother's  sister  Ruth.  The  good  Samaritan, 
who  in  Christ's  name  lifted  up  the  wretched  outcast, 
was  your  own  father.  The  unhappy  drunkard,  whom 
God  in  His  great  mercy  saved  from  such  a  depth  of  sin, 
is  now  a  redeemed  man,  and  is  here  to-day  pleading  with 
his  younger  brother  to  come  to  the  same  loving  Sav- 
iour," 

Sam  stared  at  the  minister  in  amazement  and  unbe- 
lief. 

"  What !  was  it  you  ? "  he  whispered. 

"  Yes,  Sam,  I  travelled  the  path  you  have  been  pur- 
suing, and  now  the  way  of  escape  by  which  I  came  out 
of  darkness  into  the  light  is  open  to  you.  Will  you 
come  ? " 

The  minister's  arm  again  tightened  lovingly  with  a 
persuasive  pressure.  This  time  it  met  no  resistance ; 
and  two  souls  found  a  bethel  in  the  midst  of  the  pine- 
forest. 


CHAPTER   XXXI 

PEACE  again  brooded  over  village,  farm,  and  forest. 
The  excitement  which  had  disturbed  the  Red-Keggers 
during  the  spring  subsided.  Farm  activity  engaged 
everybody's  attention.  The  four  Invincibles  no  longer 
occupied  a  prominent  place  in  the  public  mind.  Tom 
Moore,  acting  upon  the  minister's  suggestion,  had  taken 
their  paroles,  only  requiring  that  each  man  should  re- 
port once  a  day  to  him,  or  other  appointed  deputies,  in 
order  that  he  might  keep  posted  as  to  their  where- 
abouts. Sam  and  Seward  found  work  to  do  at  their 
homes.  Walt  and  Billy  hung  about  the  village,  or 
helped  in  such  affairs  as  interested  them. 

Sam  only  of  the  four  seemed  greatly  affected  by  his 
position.  He  went  quietly  about  the  farm,  working  in- 
dustriously, but  seldom  speaking  to  any  one,  and  keep- 
ing to  himself  as  much  as  possible.  He  seemed  crushed 
and  ashamed.  His  father's  kindness  touched  but  did 
not  cheer  him.  Tender,  faithful  Lettie  did  her  best  to 
bring  him  brightness  and  hope.  Farmer  Hawkins 
even  suggested  that  she  come  to  the  farm  at  once  and 
make  her  home  in  the  place  that  would  be  hers  when 
he  should  pass  away ;  but  Sam  would  not  consent  to 
any  arrangement  of  the  kind  until  after  his  trial.  He 
could  not  bear  the  thought  of  establishing  a  home  cir- 
cle to  be  broken  by  a  sentence  to  a  term  in  prison. 
Measures  had  been  set  on  foot  by  the  minister  and 
others  to  secure  a  pardon  for  the  young  men.  If  these 
should  succeed — but  the  chance  was  not  great  enough 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  417 

to  justify  anticipating  such  an  outcome.  Lettie  was 
compelled  to  bide  her  time  and  hope  for  the  best. 

Early  in  June  two  quiet  weddings  supplied  pleasant 
gossip  for  several  days.  At  Hal  Marthy's  farm  Axcy 
and  Joseph  Waters  joined  hands  before  Parson  Allen 
and  in  the  presence  of  a  chosen  few  of  their  friends, 
and  then  began  life  together  in  the  modest  home  which 
the  schoolmaster  had  provided.  A  few  days  later,  in 
the  home  of  John  Maloney,  a  tall,  wiry  young  Irish- 
man, beaming  with  pride  and  joy,  claimed  his  blushing 
bride.  After  the  ceremony  he  fairly  hugged  the  stal. 
wart  minister  for  speaking  those  "  blissed  words  "  which 
gave  him  the  right  to  say  "  my  wife  "  to  the  happy  little 
woman  at  his  side. 

The  skies  smiled  with  unclouded  face  upon  happy 
and  sad  alike.  As  June  advanced,  men  looked  more 
and  more  anxiously  for  a  cloud  to  break  that  unchang- 
ing smile.  A  breath  as  from  a  furnace  swept  over  the 
land.  Rain  came  not  upon  just  or  unjust.  Before 
July  was  half  over  the  oldest  inhabitants  declared  it 
was  the  hottest  and  dryest  summer  ever  known  in  that 
section  Crops  withered  and  died  under  the  blighting 
fierceness  of  the  sun.  Domestic  animals  suffered  from 
lack  of  water.  The  wells  on  farms  and  in  the  villages 
dried  up.  Creeks  and  rivulets,  usually  well  filled  until 
August,  became  empty  channels.  Even  the  preten- 
tious Tittabawassee  and  its  largest  tributaries  shrank 
within  their  banks  to  narrow,  muddy,  sluggish  streams. 
One  could  walk  for  miles  upon  the  Sturgeon's  clay  and 
gravel  bed  without  wetting  the  soles  of  his  feet. 

At  Red-Keg  and  Midland  the  cry  for  water  was  uni- 
versal The  scarcity  amounted  to  a  famine.  Wells 
heretofore  had  been  not  much  more  than  superficial 
affairs,  usually  from  six  to  ten  feet  deep,  but  supplying 


418  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

abundance  of  water  for  all  purposes.  These  were  now 
dry  as  powder-houses  It  became  necessary  to  strike 
deeper,  and  well-diggers  were  in  great  demand.  So 
few  were  available,  and  their  charges  became  so  high, 
that  many  farmers  undertook  to  dig  new  wells  for  them- 
selves. More  often  than  not  they  had  their  trouble  for 
nothing. 

Farmer  Hawkins  was  more  fortunate  than  most  of 
his  neighbors  in  that  his  well  was  deeper,  and  the  sup- 
ply lasted,  with  careful  economy,  through  the  summer. 
Several  times  it  seemed  on  the  point  of  failing,  but 
slowly  filled  again,  over  night.  Barney  O'Boyle  sank 
a  well  on  John  Maloney's  farm  near  one  which  had  run 
dry.  He  dug  down  through  hard-pan  about  twenty 
feet  until  he  came  to  a  fiat  rock  of  limestone.  No  ap- 
paratus being  available  for  drilling  through  the  rock, 
poor  Barney  was  well-nigh  discouraged  at  the  prospect. 
The  rock  covered  the  whole  bottom  of  the  well  and 
was  as  dry  as  dust.  In  desperation,  he  called  for  a 
crowbar  and  began  sounding  the  stone.  It  gave  back 
a  hollow  sound.  A  few  vigorous  blows  with  the  crow- 
bar soon  convinced  him  that  he  could  work  his  way 
through  the  apparently  thin  layer  of  rock.  He  struck 
still  more  rapidly,  throwing  his  whole  strength  into  the 
blows.  Suddenly  the  crowbar  slipped  from  his  hands 
and  disappeared  through  a  hole  in  the  rock.  Then  a 
column  of  pure,  cold  water  spouted  up,  drenching  Bar- 
ney to  the  skin  and  nearly  drowning  him  before  he 
could  get  to  the  top  of  the  well.  The  crowbar  was 
never  found,  but  John  Maloney  was  blessed  with  an 
ever-flowing  well  of  water,  which,  springing  up  in  the 
midst  of  a  parched  and  burning  land,  was  a  veritable 
godsend  to  his  less  fortunate  neighbors,  who  sought  in 
vain  to  find  the  meanderings  of  his  subterranean  stream. 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  4I9 

The  great  huckleberry  marshes  out  in  the  Sturgeon 
district  became  so  dry  that,  where  the  previous  year 
hundreds  of  bushels  of  the  luscious  berries  had  been 
picked  by  men,  women,  and  children,  who  earned  a  good 
income  thereby,  this  summer  only  a  few  of  the  bushes, 
in  the  wettest  spots,  got  beyond  the  flowering  stage! 
Likewise  the  raspberries  and  blackberries  were  blighted 
by  the  drouth,  and  the  sand-ridges  upon  which  they 
throve  luxuriously  in  a  moist  season  became  little  more 
than  desert  wastes. 

In  the  forests  the  pitch  oozed  from  the  barks  of 
green  trees,  filling  the  heated  air  with  a  fragrant  aroma. 
The  beds  of  pine-needles  and  mosses  which  had  lain 
for  years,  retaining  moisture  for  the  use  of  the  trees, 
became  like  tinder-boxes.  As  a  result  the  earth  around 
the  tree-roots  grew  dry  and  powdery. 

August  passed  in  panting,  shimmering  heat.  Sep- 
tember brought  a  few  half-hearted  showers  which 
tended  only  to  aggravate  conditions,  until  the  people 
were  almost  ready  to  give  up  hope.  By  the  first  of 
October  a  general  feeling  of  depression  had  settled 
upon  the  entire  section.  On  every  hand  praying  peo- 
ple besought  God  for  relief,  but  still  no  rain  came,  and 
day  by  day  the  drouth  strengthened  its  deadly  grip. 

Then  alarm  suddenly  took  a  new  turn.  The  atmos- 
phere grew  hazy  and  smoke-laden.  Disquieting  reports 
began  to  come  from  different  quarters  that  the  forests 
were  on  fire,  and  that  the  fires  were  spreading  with 
great  rapidity.  Preparations  were  made  to  flee,  or  to 
fight  for  homes  and  lives.  All  through  the  section 
which  included  Red-Keg  large  quantities  of  timber  had 
been  cut  down  during  the  previous  winter,  and  the 
dried,  pitch-filled  limbs  and  needles  which  littered  the 
ground  would  burn  like  oil.  Only  those  homes  which 


420  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

stood  in  the  midst  of  wide  clearings  could  be  regarded 
as  comparatively  safe.  Even  then  it  was  necessary  to 
burn  away  with  great  care  acres  of  dried  grass  and 
grain  which  might  offer  means  of  communication  for 
the  onrushing  conflagration.  Houses  and  barns  closely 
surrounded  by  the  forest  were  in  imminent  danger. 
As  the  fires  drew  nearer  many  a  farmer  and  lumber- 
owner  made  haste  to  cut  down  and  drag  away  valuable 
trees  in  the  hope  of  saving  their  homes. 

Farmer  Hawkins  surveyed  his  grounds  with  anxious 
face.  He  noted  the  direction  of  the  wind,  and  the  in- 
creasing smoke  in  the  sky.  His  buildings  were  all  far 
enough  away  from  the  limits  of  the  forest  for  safety, 
but  he  hated  to  sacrifice  the  beautiful  and  stately  trees 
in  which  he  took  so  much  delight.  Early  one  morning 
he  shook  his  head  gravely  and  said  to  the  minister : 

"  My  old  pets  have  got  to  go,  Robert.  Let's  have  it 
over  with  at  once." 

Before  noon  not  a  single  tree  was  standing  within  a 
thousand  feet  of  the  house. 

John  Maloney  had  a  more  difficult  task.  His  clear- 
ing was  not  yet  so  broad.  If  it  were  not  for  the  fact 
that  the  last  winter's  cut  of  timber  had  been  taken 
from  the  acres  nearest  his  farm,  for  the  purpose  of  cul- 
tivation, his  case  would  have  been  almost  hopeless. 
He  and  Barney,  with  such  help  as  they  could  get, 
worked  desperately  night  and  day  to  drive  the  edge  of 
the  forest  back  beyond  the  danger  line.  Ros  Whit- 
more,  strong  and  courageous  again,  helped  Maloney, 
or  Farmer  Hawkins,  or  any  others  who  needed  help, 
with  as  much  energy  as  though  his  own  home  were 
concerned. 

"  T  would  be  a  waste  o'  time  an'  strength  to  do  any- 
thin'  out  to  Th'  Corners,"  he  said.  "  We're  shet  in  on 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  421 

three  sides  by  pine-woods,  an'  nothin'  short  o'  twenty 
men  could  make  a  clearin'  there  big  enough  ter  keep 
the  fire  off  ef  it  hed  a  mine'ter  come.  Men  are  scarce 
now,  an'  they's  too  many  places  where  they  hev  a  bet- 
ter chance.  Mebbe  the  fire'll  skip  us  by.  Ef  it  don't, 
we'll  hev  ter  skip  ourselves  an'  let  the  shanty  go." 

His  friends  knew  very  well  that  he  would  not  talk 
with  such  seeming  indifference  of  his  fine  new  home 
if  he  had  not  canvassed  the  situation  thoroughly  and 
found  it  absolutely  hopeless.  Finding  no  help  for  it, 
he  bravely  concealed  his  own  sorrow  and  helped  those 
who  had  some  chance  of  saving  their  property.  An- 
drew Green  was  in  similar  hopeless  case,  and  realizing 
it  at  the  very  beginning,  moved  his  family  and  goods 
to  Midland,  Many  others  did  the  same. 

By  the  end  of  the  first  week  in  October  a  lurid  glow 
was  seen  at  night  in  the  north  and  west.  The  heat 
and  smoke  became  almost  unbearable.  Bandages  were 
kept  over  the  eyes  and  mouth.  Refugees  came  from 
all  directions,  hurrying  toward  Midland.  The  confla- 
gration swept  on  apace,  sometimes  in  wide  swath,  some- 
times in  long,  narrow  arms  which  wormed  their  way 
onward,  leaving  irregular  paths  of  destruction  behind. 
Communities  joined  together  for  a  common  onslaught 
upon  the  devouring  flames.  Bands  of  men  hurried 
from  place  to  place  to  beat  down  the  fire  wherever  it 
specially  threatened.  The  lack  of  water  greatly  ham- 
pered the  work  and  caused  fearful  suffering,  but  the 
sturdy  farmers  and  woodsmen  fought  on  bravely,  des- 
perately, unceasingly,  to  save  their  homes  and  their 
loved  ones. 

The  former  Invincibles  earned  a  new  title  to  the 
name  by  their  unyielding,  untiring  efforts  in  the  com- 
mon cause.  By  tacit  agreement  they  banded  them- 


422  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

selves  together  for  the  fearful  work,  and  in  the  most 
dangerous  places  displayed  a  reckless  valor  which 
earned  the  admiration  as  well  as  the  gratitude  of  those 
who  a  few  months  before  had  welcomed  their  downfall. 
The  very  air  seemed  filled  with  fire.  From  tree-top 
to  tree-top  great  balls  of  flame  would  pass,  often  jump- 
ing over  an  open  space  of  several  hundred  feet  to  a 
pitch-laden  tree,  which  in  a  twinkling  would  burst  into 
a  seething  column  of  fire  from  root  to  topmost  branch. 
Here  again  the  swirling  flames  would  gather  themselves 
into  huge  balls  to  be  tossed  about  by  the  wind  and 
dropped  wherever  a  waiting  tree  or  building  offered 
food  for  the  ravenous  element. 

"  From  fiery  night  to  morning, 

From  flaming  dawn  to  night, 
Rolled  the  resistless  tide  of  fire 
In  roaring  waves  of  light." 

Red-Keg  and  Midland  were  both  threatened  with 
destruction,  although  both  were  providentially  spared. 
At  the  latter  place  the  citizens  turned  out  in  relief  bri- 
gades to  plough  out  around  the  town  and  in  every  possi- 
ble way  seek  to  prevent  the  flames  from  getting  a  hold 
upon  the  frame  dwellings  which  composed  the  town. 
Church  bells  were  kept  ringing  and  whistles  blowing 
to  guide  people  thither  who  had  been  driven  from  their 
homes.  Landmarks  were  burned  away  and  there  was 
no  visible  means  by  which  refugees  could  tell  whether 
they  were  going  north  or  south. 

The  tide  of  fire  was  sweeping  over  toward  the  State 
road  from  the  Big  Salt  district.  Already  the  woods  a 
few  miles  above  the  Hawkins  farm  to  the  north  and 
out  toward  Wilford  were  blazing.  The  bands  of  fire 
fighters  were  retreating  before  the  awful  foe.  Pete 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  423 

Murray,  Tom  Moore,  Barney  O'Boyle,  Ned  Blakely, 
Dan  Underbill,  John  Maloney,  Ros  Whitmore,  the  In- 
vincibles,  and  a  hundred  more  were  contesting  every 
rod  of  ground  wherever  a  chance  of  rescue  or  home- 
saving  presented  itself.  Several  farmhouses  had  been 
saved  by  heroic  efforts.  Many  others  were  lying  in 
blackened  ruins.  The  men  were  nearly  exhausted; 
their  eyes  were  red  and  swollen,  their  throats  parched, 
and  their  hands  frightfully  burned  and  blistered ;  but 
there  was  no  thought  of  surrender. 

Monday  afternoon,  October  9th,  a  company  of  Red- 
Keggers,  almost  ready  to  drop  with  weariness,  and  the 
pain  of  their  burns,  was  resting  for  an  hour  or  so  at 
the  Hawkins  farm  to  gather  a  little  fresh  strength  for 
the  further  efforts  which  they  could  not  avoid.  News 
had  just  come  from  the  telegraph  office  at  the  railroad 
depot  that  the  whole  of  Michigan  was  on  fire ;  then  the 
same  was  said  of  Wisconsin;  then  that  Chicago  was 
burning,  after  which  dreadful  news,  all  communication 
with  the  outside  world  was  cut  off. 

"  Must  be  the  end  o'  the  world's  comin',"  said  Ned 
Blakely  in  awe-struck  tones. 

No  one  scoffed.  The  thing  seemed  frightfully  real, 
and  the  same  belief  had  forced  itself  into  many  minds. 

"  Our  times  are  in  His  hands,"  said  Allen  with  quiet 
but  solemn  voice.  "  When  He  comes,  may  He  find 
each  of  us  ready,  doing  his  duty  to  the  last,  courageous 
and  true.  Let  us  commend  ourselves  to  Him,  and  ask 
for  strength  for  the  work  which  lies  immediately  be- 
fore us." 

In  a  few  earnest  words  the  minister  lifted  the  brave 
but  fear-laden  hearts  of  that  little  band  to  the  throne 
of  Him  who  said  to  the  tempest,  "  Peace,  be  still,"  and 
who  gives  peace  to  meet  the  direst  human  need. 


424  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

Seward  Rathaway,  who  had  been  to  the  village  and 
returned  with  the  latest  news,  had  reported  also  that 
the  fire  was  working  round  to  the  Sturgeon  district  and 
might  hem  them  in  if  they  were  not  careful. 

Ros  Whitmore  had  spoken  several  times  during  the 
day  of  returning  to  his  home  to  take  his  family  out  of 
harm's  way.  Now  he  announced  his  intention  of  go- 
ing out  to  The  Corners  at  once. 

"  Not  thet  they's  any  immediate  danger.  I  told  Jule 
ter  git  the  kids  an'  the  things  in  the  cart  an'  go  down 
ter  the  Keg  ef  the  fire  seemed  ter  be  comin'  thet  way. 
Jule's  set  on  takin'  keer  o'  the  house  ter  the  last ;  but 
she  won't  run  no  resk,  I  reckon,  with  the  kids.  I'll 
run  out  an'  see  thet  they're  all  right.  Ef  the  fire's  got 
'round  to  the  Sturgeon,  it's  time  they  made  tracks  out 
o'  there." 

"  You  may  need  help ;  I'll  go  with  you,"  said  Allen, 
"  and  perhaps  Sam  may  like  to  go ; "  but  Sam  could 
not  be  found.  No  one  remembered  seeing  him  since 
dinner. 

"  Never  mind,  ye  may  be  sure  he's  needed  wherever 
he  is,"  said  Ros,  as  they  started  off  in  a  buckboard. 

Driving  down  past  Maloney's  farm  to  a  point  just 
above  Andrew  Green's  deserted  house,  they  turned 
into  the  narrow  winding  road  which  led  some  five  miles 
out  to  the  Sandy  town  settlement.  Ros  Whitmore' s 
place  was  about  half  a  mile  nearer  the  State  road,  and 
near  the  intersection  of  the  Sandytown  and  Wilford 
roads.  It  was  thus  referred  to  as  The  Corners. 

Ros  and  the  minister  pushed  on  with  all  possible 
speed,  alarmed  at  the  smoke  which  seemed  to  grow 
thicker  as  they  advanced.  When  scarcely  a  mile  from 
the  State  road  they  met  Jule  with  the  children  and  a 
wagon-load  of  household  goods  coming  rapidly  toward 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  425 

them.  The  good  woman  was  pale  and  weeping,  and 
the  smaller  children  huddled  to  her  with  frightened 
faces. 

"The  road's  cut  off,  Ros!"  cried  his  wife.  "The 
fire  ran  around  us  before  we  knew  it.  We'd  never  got 
out  alive  but  for  Sam  Hawkins,  who  rushed  in  jest 
after  dinner  an'  hustled  us  all  into  the  wagon.  Then 
he  came  part  way  to  see  that  we  got  through.  But  the 
woods  on  both  sides  of  the  road  jest  below  The  Cor- 
ners is  all  afire,  an'  he  had  to  lead  the  horses  through 
by  the  bridle."  Ros  had  been  looking  hastily  over  the 
little  group  while  listening  to  his  wife's  excited  narra- 
tive. Suddenly  he  shouted,  a  quick  note  of  anxiety  in 
his  voice : 

"  Where's  Tilly  ? " 

Jule  began  to  cry  hysterically  again  and  wring  her 
hands. 

"  We  had  to  hurry  so ! "  she  wailed.  "  We  all  thought 
she  was  in  the  wagon.  She  wasn't  in  the  house  when 
we  left.  We  were  sure  she  was  in  the  wagon.  We 
were  all  so  excited,  and  had  to  start  all  in  a  minute. 
Sam  went  back  to  find  her — he  swore  an  oath  he'd  find 
her  an'  bring  her  to  me  this  very  afternoon — he  went 
back — through  the  fire." 

Ros  groaned  in  an  agony  of  fear.  Here  were  his 
"ninety-and-nine,"  saved  almost  by  a  miracle;  but  his 
father's  heart  yearned  for  the  one  wee  lamb  that  was 
missing.  Bidding  Jule  drive  on  at  once  to  the  village, 
Ros  and  the  minister  lashed  their  horse  forward  in  the 
hope  that  they  might  pass  the  burning  barrier  across 
the  road  and  reach  the  threatened  road.  Before  they 
had  gone  two  miles  farther,  however,  they  were  stopped 
by  a  fiery  wall,  advancing  toward  them,  which  made 
progress  in  that  direction  utterly  impossible.  Ros 


426  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

looked  at  the  minister  in  mute  and  hopeless  anguish. 
Without  a  moment's  hesitation,  Allen  sprang  out  of 
the  buckboard  and  bade  Ros  do  the  same.  Then  he 
turned  the  horse  around,  fastened  the  reins  to  the  seat, 
and  with  a  slap  and  a  quick  word  sent  the  animal  gal- 
loping back  down  the  road. 

"This  arm  of  the  fire  is  coming  around  from  the 
cast,"  he  said.  "It  may  not  have  reached  the  Wilford 
road.  You  know  the  logging  path  through  to  there. 
We  may  get  around  to  The  Corners  that  way.  I  doubt 
if  the  fire  has  got  to  your  place  yet." 

While  he  spoke,  the  two  men  were  hurrying  to  a 
little  path  which  led  from  the  road  zigzag  through  the 
forest.  Apparently  a  temporary  shift  of  the  wind  had 
driven  a  narrow  tongue  of  fire  out  from  the  main  con- 
flagration in  a  westerly  direction.  This  puff  of  wind  had 
now  died  out,  and  the  fire  was  probably  working  south 
again  rather  than  continuing  to  the  west.  It  was  upon 
this  theory,  at  least,  that  Allen  based  his  calculations. 
There  was  no  time  for  weighing  chances.  He  had 
seized  the  first  that  suggested  itself.  Through  the  for- 
est, already  stifling  with  smoke  and  heat,  they  plunged. 
Before  they  had  gone  a  furlong  the  place  at  which 
they  had  entered  was  in  flames.  In  half  an  hour  they 
reached  the  Wilford  road  and  hastened  on.  As  they 
neared  The  Corners,  the  smoke  became  more  dense, 
and  showers  of  sparks  fell  around  them.  The  father's 
heart  sank  in  his  breast.  The  minister  was  troubled 
with  another  fear,  also. 

"  Look ! "  cried  Ros,  pointing  through  the  woods  to  a 
red  glare  which  grew  nearer  and  brighter  each  moment. 

"  Look ! "  cried  the  minister,  pointing  to  a  terrible 
figure  which  came  staggering  down  the  road  holding 
something  in  its  arms. 


••I   DES   LOVE  HIM,   I  DOl' 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  427 

Ros  looked ;  then  with  a  glad  cry  he  sprang  forward. 

"Tilly!  my  baby!  mydarlin'!"  he  shouted. 

Without  a  word  the  terrible,  staggering  figure  laid 
the  child  unhurt  in  her  father's  arms.  Tnen  he  reeled 
as  if  about  to  fall. 

"  Sam  I  my  hero! "  cried  the  minister,  supporting  the 
burned  and  exhausted  man.  "  You  must  not  give  out 
now.  We  need  you.  Come,  Ros,  hurry !  We'll  cut 
through  at  the  first  orening  to  the  Hawkins  farm. 
There's  no  place  any  safer  than  that." 

"Let  me  run,  papa,  I'm  all  right,"  begged  little 
Tilly,  "I  went  to  find  my  kitty  an'  when  I  corned 
back,  mama  an'  ev'ybody  was  gone.  I  was  des  goin' 
to  cry  when  my  teacher's  Mister  Hawkins  corned  an' 
said  he'd  take  me  to  mama  Oh,  my !  but  he  was  aw- 
ful burned  an'  sore,  an'  I  wanted  to  get  him  some  water, 
an'  some  o'  mama's  mutton  tallow  an'  cream,  but  he 
wouldn't  wait  for  the  leastest  thing,  but  des  grabbed 
me  up  an'  run.  An'  we  had  to  go  fru  a  dre'ful  fire.  I 
was  afraid,  but  he  said  he  couldn't  help  it,  an'  it  was 
the  on'y  way  to  get  to  mama.  He  took  off  his  coat 
an'  wrapped  it  all  roun'  me,  even  my  head,  so's  I 
couldn't  hardly  breave,  till  we  got  fru  the  fire ;  but  his 
hair  an'  eyes  an'  han's  got  more  burned — poor  man ! 
He  must  be  awful  good.  I  des  love  him,  I  do — most 
as  much  as  I  do  my  teacher," 

The  little  girl  wriggled  herself  out  of  her  father's 
restraining  arms,  and  running  to  Sam  caught  one  of 
his  hands  in  hers  and  kissed  it  tenderly.  Then  she 
gazed  at  it  a  moment  in  silent  pity,  and  the  tears  ran 
down  ner  cheeks. 

"Oh,  it's  so  sore!"  she  said.  "I  must  wrap  it  up 
des  like  my  mama  does  in  soft  rags  with  plenty  of 
mutton  tallow  and  cream." 


428  THE  RED-KEGGERS 

"'Inasmuch  as  ye  have  done  it  unto  one  of  the  least 
of  these,  ye  have  done  it  unto  Me,' "  said  Allen,  close 
to  Sam's  ear.  "  Those  words  of  the  Saviour  are  spoken 
to  you,  Sam." 

The  little  party  hurried  along  with  as  much  speed  as 
the  suffering  man  could  maintain,  and  soon  came  to 
another  path  which  took  them  through  the  woods  to 
the  Hawkins  farm.  There  Sam's  burns  were  dressed 
and  he  was  put  to  bed,  while  others  fought  the  fire- 
fiend  for  two  days  longer,  until  the  pitying  heavens 
poured  down  the  blessed  rain  and  stopped  the  carnival 
of  destruction. 

Several  days  passed,  and  the  telegraph  lines  were  re- 
stored. Among  the  first  to  use  them  in  the  little  Red- 
Keg  railroad  office  was  Robert  Allen.  Ros  Whitmore, 
Tom  Moore,  Justice  Frost,  Pete  Murray,  and  several 
other  men  were  with  him.  Their  business  required  an 
unusual  amount  of  ticking  on  the  little  instrument. 
Then  Robert  Allen  suddenly  disappeared  without  tell- 
ing Sam  or  Farmer  Hawkins  where  he  was  going.  He 
might  be  gone  a  week,  perhaps  longer,  he  said ;  but  he 
hoped  to  be  back  in  time  to  help  Sam  through  his  or- 
deal at  the  United  States  District  Court. 

The  date  fixed  for  the  sitting  came  all  too  soon. 
Even  the  great  fire  caused  no  postponement.  Parson 
Allen  had  not  returned,  and  Sam,  who  was  barely  able 
to  go  to  Midland,  both  hands  still  swathed  in  bandages, 
nerved  himself  to  take  the  punishment  he  had  earned. 
Every  influence  possible  was  exerted  in  behalf  of  him 
and  his  companions,  and  their  services  to  the  commu- 
nity during  the  fire  were  urged  as  an  offset  to  their 
offenses;  but  the  clemency  of  the  court  could  not 
grant  more  than  a  lightening  of  the  sentence.  After 
that  had  been  pronounced,  Sam  was  given  an  hour  to 


THE  RED-KEGGERS  439 

be  alone  with  his  father  and  Lettie;  then  he  must  go 
away.  The:  minister  came  just  in  time  to  join  the  sor- 
rowful little  group.  He  appeared  to  notice  nothing 
amiss  and  advanced  with  a  pleasant  greeting. 

"  How  are  the  burns,  Sam  ?    Healing  nicely  ? " 

"Better,  thank  you,"  replied  Sam,  adding  sadly: 
"  You  came  too  late  for  the  trial.  I  suppose  you  know 
the  result." 

"  Yes,  I  know ;  but  perhaps  I  am  not  too  late.  You 
still  have  a  few  minutes  left  to  read  this,"  and  he  placed 
a  long  envelope  in  the  bandaged  hand. 

Sam  looked  at  it  helplessly  a  moment,  and  his  hand 
trembled.  He  held  the  envelope  toward  his  father,  who 
removed  the  paper,  opened  it,  and  tried  to  read,  but  his 
eyes  were  dimmed  with  tears.  Lettie  could  not  wait. 
She  leaned  over  Farmer  Hawkins's  shoulder  and  took 
one  long  look.  Then  she  snatched  the  paper  excitedly. 

"  A  pardon ! "  she  cried.  "  Look,  Sam,  it's  a  pardon ! 
Oh,  it's  all  over,  Sam,  it's  a  pardon ! "  and  she  fell  on 
her  knees  and  spread  the  paper  on  Sam's  lap. 

The  young  man  gazed  at  the  paper  a  moment,  then 
at  the  happy,  excited  face  of  his  wife,  and  into  the 
quiet,  strong,  tender  face  of  the  minister.  At  last  his 
eyes  rested  again  upon  the  paper  in  his  lap. 

"  Pardoned ! "  he  whispered.  After  a  pause,  he  add- 
ed, softly,  "  by  God  and  man ! " 

"Yes,  Sam,"  said  Robert  Allen,  "and  may  the  Lord 
bless  thee  and  keep  thee;  the  Lord  make  His  face  to 
shine  upon  thee  and  be  gracious  to  thee ;  the  Lord  lift 
up  His  countenance  upon  thee  and  give  thee  peace." 

And  the  deep  bright  glow  in  the  young  man's  eyes 
as  he  lifted  them  once  more  to  those  of  the  minister— 
his  friend— his  brother— testified  eloquently  that  the 
prayer  for  blessing  was  already  answered. 


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Decorated  by  CharLs  Edward  Hopper 

*«A  tale  that  is  literature  ...  the  unity  of  its  plan 
»nd  the  firmness  of  its  execution  are  equally  remarkable 
...  a  story  tnat  grips  the  reader  deeply.  It  is  art,  it 

is  literature It  stands  apart,  far  apart  witta 

10  much  skill,  so  much  reasonableness,  so  much  convinc- 
ing logic." — N.  T.  Mail  an  J  Express. 

"A  big  story  in  sober  English,  and  with  thorough  art 
in  the  construction  ...  a  wonderfully  perfect  bit  of 
work.  The  dog  adventures  are  as  exciting  as  any  man'* 
exploits  could  be,  and  Mr.  London's  workmanship  is 
wholly  satisfying." — The  New  York  Sun. 

"  The  story  is  one  that  will  stir  the  blood  of  every 
lover  of  a  life  in  its  closest  relation  to  nature.  Whoever 
loves  the  open  or  adventure  for  its  own  sake  will  find! 
•The  Call  of  the  Wild'  a  most  fascinating  book."—. 
The  Brooklyn  Eagle. 

THE   SEA   WOLF 

Illustrated  by  W.  J.  Aylward 

"This  story  surely  has  the  pure  Stevenson  ring,  the 
adventurous  glamour,  the  vertebrate  stoicism.  'Tis  surely 
the  story  of  the  making  of  a  man,  the  sculptor  being 
Captain  Larsen,  and  the  cl?>y,  the  ease-loving,  well-to-do, 
half-drowned  man,  to  all  appearances  his  helpless  prey." 
—  Critic. 

GROSSET    &    DUNLAP,    PUBLISH**! 


POPULAR   PRICED   EDITIONS    OF    30OKS 
BY 

LOUIS    TRACY 

I2mo,  cloth,  75  cents  each,  postpaid 

Books  that  make  the  nerves  tingle — romance  and  ad- 
venture of  the  best  type — wholesome   for  family  reading 


THE  PILLAR  OF  LIGHT 

«'  Breathless  interest  is  a  hackneyed  phrase,  but  every 
reader  of  '  The  Pillar  of  Light '  who  has  red  blood  in 
his  or  her  veins,  will  agree  that  the  trite  saying  applies  to 
the  attention  which  this  story  commands. — New  York  Sun. 

THE  WINGS  OF  THE  MORNING 

*'  Here  is  a  story  filled  with  the  swing  of  adventure. 
There  are  no  dragging  intervals  in  this  volume  :  from  the 
moment  of  their  landing  on  the  island  until  the  rescuing 
crew  find  them  there,  there  is  not  a  dull  moment  for  the 
young  people — nor  for  the  reader  cither." — New  York 
Times. 

THE  KING  OF  DIAMONDS 

«*  Verily,  Mr.  Tracy  is  a  prince  of  story-tellers.  His 
charm  is  a  little  hard  to  describe,  but  it  is  as  definite  as 
that  of  a  rainbow.  The  reader  is  carried  along  by  the 
robust  imagination  of  the  author. — San  Frtndsa  Exam- 
iner. 


GROSSET    &     DUN  LAP,    NEW  YORK 


NEW    EDITIONS    IN    UNIFORM    BINDING 


WORKS  OF 

F.  MARION  CRAWFORD 

izmo,  Cloth,  each  75  cents,  postpaid 

VIA  CRUCIS  :  A  Romance  of  the  Second  Crusade. 

Illustrated  by  Louis  Loeb. 

Mr.  Crawford  has  manifestly  brought  his  best  qualities 
os  a  student  of  history,  and  his  finest  resources  as  a  master 
af  an  original  and  picturesque  style,  to  bear  upon  this  story. 

MR.  ISAACS  :  A  Tale  of  Modern  India. 

Under  an  unpretentious  title  we  have  here  one  of  the 
most  brilliant  novels  that  has  been  given  to  the  world. 

THE  HEART  OF  ROME. 

The  legend  of  a  buried  treasure  under  the  walls  of  the 
palace  of  Conti,  known  to  but  few,  provides  the  frame- 
work for  many  exciting  incidents. 

SARACINESCA 

A  graphic  picture  of  Roman  society  in  the  last  days  of 
the  Pope's  temporal  power. 

SANT'  ILARIO  ;  A  Sequel  to  Saracinesca. 

A  singularly  powerful  and  beautiful  story,  fulfilling  every 
requirement  of  artistic  fiction. 

IN  THE  PALACE  OF  THE  KING :  A  Love  Story 

of  Old  Madrid.     Illustrated. 

The  imaginative  richness,  the  marvellous  ingenuity  of 
plot,  and  the  charm  of  romantic  environment,  rank  this 
novel  among  the  great  creations. 

GROSSET    &    DUNLAP,    NEW  YORK 


University  of  California 

SOUTHERN  REGIONAL  LIBRARY  FACILITY 

305  De  Neve  Drive  -  Parking  Lot  17  •  Box  951388 

LOS  ANGELES,  CALIFORNIA  90095-1388 

Return  this  material  to  the  library  from  which  it  was  borrowed. 


QL  JAN  1 5  2002 


REC'D  YRL 


2002 


